"Conversion of Russia" Update:

Commie Thug "Elected" in Belarus

by Christopher A. Ferrara

        As "ex-communist" Vladimir ("the practicing Christian") Putin steadily consolidates a neo-Stalinist dictatorship in Russia, his fellow "ex-communist" dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko, does the same in neighboring Belarus. On October 19, 2004 The New York Times reported that according to a "constitutional referendum" the people of Belarus have "voted" to abolish the limit of two five-year terms on the presidency so that Lukashenko can remain in power indefinitely.

        According to Lukashenko’s "election commission," an astounding 77% of the Belarus electorate "voted" to abolish the term limits. But, as with the original "democratic election" of Lukashenko in 1994, the "constitutional referendum" did not pass the smell test. In fact, the whole thing stinks to high heaven.

        The Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has released a report citing "harassment of opposition candidates and numerous irregularities" in the just-concluded vote. There were reports of ballot box stuffing, irregularities in vote tallies and, in one instance, an election commissioner filling in voting results based on a phone call from an unidentified person.

        At a news conference following the "vote" to make Lukashenko president indefinitely, an OSCE representative declared that Belarussian authorities had failed "to ensure the fundamental conditions for the will of the people to serve as the basis for authority for government" and that "freedom of expression, association and assembly were seriously challenged." Ah, but a separate delegation of observers from "the former Soviet republics" pronounced the vote totally fair. Right.

        One political protester, Aleksandr Krivonosov, compared Lukashenko to Stalin and noted that Lukashenko "has become so bold he feels untouchable."

        But what has just happened in Belarus is only a preview of what is coming in Russia itself. Look for Putin to ram through legislation eliminating the term limits on his own presidency — one of the last steps to making him the official neo-Stalinist dictator of Russia. Look also for the methodical reconstitution of the "former Soviet Union" in the months to come — beginning with the "democratic" republic of Belarus.

        And this, dear readers, is what Fr. Fox and his fellow Fatima revisionists would have us believe is the conversion of Russia promised by Our Lady of Fatima. One would think that at this point these folks would be embarrassed ever again to say anything in public concerning the Message of Fatima, so thoroughly has their nonsense been discredited. But some people are without shame. If they had any shame they would have admitted their folly long ago.