There’s been a lot of water under the bridge, since the Osman Turks; Russia’s current record (not to mention the entire 20th Century) isn’t real good. (Hey, when does Pootie wrestle a lion, huh?)

No, it does not. There is a consensus running across all strata of society that terror will never be used, at least against Slavic population. Only small barbaric rebel Muslim populations in Caucasia can be targets of punitive actions, if other measures to make them tame fail. This is like Algeria to France: here we can use paratroopers against villagers, but not in France proper.

Nobody wants a return of Jacobin terror or, indeed, any other sort of terror, yet it does seem to be returning just the same, doesn’t it?

Meet the new Russia—same as the old Russia.

First, you should understand, Toes, that “an atheist’s point of view” isn’t the same as the point of view of someone phobic or intolerant toward religious belief — and that your juvenile attempt to mock such belief is hardly the same as holding “faith-infused political discourse at arm’s length”.

Second, holding such “discourse” at arm’s length doesn’t mean it can’t occur at all — such as in a church, among one’s faith community, and where the discourse consists of praying (i.e., hoping) that one’s political views and actions are in accord with what’s right.

As for your trip, great. Your use of it to cover your trite anti-American condescension has a little taint of that old “some of my best friends are Jews” excuse, but perhaps you’re sincere. I’d just point out that it takes two sides to fight a culture war, and that the sense of ruination by media manipulation and cynical politicians is felt especially acutely by conservatives and most not on the left.

The Declaration of Independence is the very embodiment of basing government policy (unalienable rights) on religious conviction (endowed by their Creator)!

Riiiight, Thomas Jefferson was a big advocate of mixing church and state.