If you ignore the usual western backed troublemakers who try to hijack any protest for anti Russian gain. Then actually there are some sensible demands being made. In terms of tax, it is sensible to go for a tax on recuring consumption. It is sensible because the tax is recurring in revenue terms, whilst not imposing an impetus against the purchase of the vehicle in the first place. So the consumer is happy with their fuel burning monster, the government are happy with recurring revenue, and in the end the environment is happy, because the use is limited by the expense of using the vehicle. But broader than this, we need to start to accelerate the prosperity part of the security, stability and prosperity vectors. Whilst Security and stability are now underpined, we need to address prosperity in a far more accelerated manner, so it does not have a detrimental affect on our stability and security. We do have the correct strategic direction for the economy, but the time constant for it to be felt by the ordinary people, needs to be monitored carfully. We don't want a Greece or UK affect, which is the easy short term run up the debt and make everyone happy, until the bubble bursts. But on the other hand, we do not want organic growth at such a slow rate that people feel no benefit in their lives. To this end we need a faster route for cash into peopl's hands, one way could be through a concept of a better built environment and social support infrastructure like hospitals. In many economies this has traditionally provided a rapid rise in ecomomic activity, coupled with rapid increase in living standards.

these people are fighting for foreign made consumer goods and not for suppression of their constitutional rights. Moscow has good public transit. If people want to drive cars in Moscow, they should pay a high price for doing so. Police corruption is another matter. Access to cheap foreign made cars is not the samething as fightin for constitutional rights or police corruption. It is interestibg this and similar rallies are sponsored by car deals!

I think these "protestors" are piling in everything they can find into this. Of course, corruption of road police is a very important issue and must be addressed. Other than that, their demands sound like those of spoiled brats, there also seems a great deal of greed/desire/pride involved. Avoiding taxes is sort of a national sport in Russia, but that has to change. Taxing bigger car engines is actually a very good idea, as it limits impact on the environment. Russia needs to educate people better on these issues and in my view, taxes in Russia are on the low side anyway. They eventually will have to go up, but it has to be done gradually and cleverly. "Vote of no confidence" to the government because of car tax? Pleeeese - that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

@ Larissa ""Vote of no confidence" to the government because of car tax? Pleeeese - that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Actually Larissa this is how quite a few revolutions started. Taxes were imposed on people without asking them and without giving them any rights to be a part of the process of imposing taxes. Correct me if I'm wrong but this how the US American War of Independence started.

Bart The U.S never “true” had a revolution comparable to the French and Bolshevik Revolutions.The U.S the revolution had racialist underpinning and this racialist underpinning is one of the reasons the U.S revolution failed to bring true equality to blacks and indigenous people. As for these Russian demonstrators, they are mindless groups of agitators. They are not fighting for bread and water, access to education and medicine; they are fighting foreign made cars. They want the Russian state to pay for their lust for foreign consumers goods. This is mindless and stupid moves which stand to undermine local carmakers and the well developed Russian public transit. As far as I am concern, these people are pathetic. They are pathetic, for example, by trying to hide their desire for foreign made cars with claim of Russian police corruption. These are two issues which cannot be conflated. These people need to learn their own history first.

I agree about car tax reduction. It must be redust to 150 local currency (ruble, I guess) like we pay here in Canada. But, car taxes should be charged as much as cost of the car before taxes. Local production of the cars and vans is paramount. It is ashem for Russians to fly to the moon and back and at the same time do not produce their own domestic cars. Folks, car production is not a rocket science. It is very simple but require meticulous attantions to detals and hard working R&D department. For example, Toyota apdates their cars every five years. We have new model of most relable in the world Camry every five years.

March 21, 2010, 15:55, Doublespeak wrote > Bart > The U.S never “true” had a revolution comparable to the French and Bolshevik Revolutions.The U.S the revolution had racialist underpinning and this racialist underpinning is one of the reasons the U.S revolution failed to bring true equality to blacks and indigenous people. As for these Russian demonstrators, they are mindless groups of agitators. They are not fighting for bread and water, access to education and medicine; they are fighting foreign made cars. They want the Russian state to pay for their lust for foreign consumers goods. This is mindless and stupid moves which stand to undermine local carmakers and the well developed Russian public transit. As far as I am concern, these people are pathetic. They are pathetic, for example, by trying to hide their desire for foreign made cars with claim of Russian police corruption. These are two issues which cannot be conflated. These people need to learn their own history first. You show your ignorance when you talk about America. BLACKS in America have it better than anyone else in the world! They free welfare, cars, houses, food, gas, cellphones, cable television, internet..etc. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!

These protests aren't just about "car tax" - especially in Kaliningrad, where local people are increasingly frustrated by the poverty of their lives, especially surrounded as they are by the comparatively more advanced societies in much-maligned Poland and Lithuania. The danger for the regime in the Kremlin, as many of us predicted some while ago, is that if you deny a legitimate voice to proper opposition parties, as opposed to the phoney "opposition" parties currently tolerated, then you deny a constitutional avenue for people to express themselves.

sevodnya_net It is true that Russia needs less billionaires and more ordinary people who can purchase affordable goods but fight for foreign made cars is the way to go? These protestors are not fighting for legitimate needs of the majority of Russians. Democracy and constitutional rights are more than access to foreign made cars. What is wrong with Russian made cars anyway?