Sean, what standards do you think Russian democracy should be measured against? You're making it way too easy for yourself by saying that "Western" criticism of developments in Russia is just a way of deflecting what you see as a crisis of Western societies. Shouldn't we hold Russia to the same standards as we hold our own democracies? Shouldn't we look for political equality, free and fair elections, free media and freedom of speech, a functioning civil society, and as Cyrill says, freedom in the economic sphere -- shouldn't we look for all these things and more in Russia just as we look for them in Norway, the US, Greece or wherever? If we do that, then we treat Russia just as we treat ourselves, and we precisely _do not_ conveniently discover Russia as the new orientalist other. But if we said that, hah, the Russians, they always need an iron man at the top to tell them what to do etc etc, _then_ we would be doing what you say critics of Russia are doing now.

And by the way: it is entirely possible that a great variety of democracies can exist side by side, even though they share some essential traits like the rights I listed. Russia can find its way into this very colourful club of democracies with its identity intact. I think you would agree that there are distinct differences between Norway, the US and Greece, but they are all democracies. A parliamentary monarchy, a parliamentary republic, a presidential republic.