Russian men already have a lower life expectancy than Bangladeshis. The decline in male longevity is unprecedented for a (relatively) advanced nation not at war. Russia has extraordinary rates of drug-fueled AIDS, Hepatitis C, heart disease and TB, all of which are mere symptoms of an entire people unable to pull themselves out of a spiral of self-destruction.
 

    ...a large bloc of Russian lawmakers has proposed legislation taking aim at Russia's thousands of non-government organizations.
 
    The bill would ban foreign NGOs in Russia, forcing them to reopen as wholly Russian organizations.
 
    "This law is designed to put an end to independent civil society," said Yuri Dzhibladze, president of the Moscow-based Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights. "The authorities see any independent activity as a threat to their power. This gives rise to what we call 'orange paranoia,' grossly exaggerated fears springing from an absolutely primitive perception of civil society."