Question of the Day: Who Rules The World?

In an age of multinational corporations and billionaires that control global markets, our traditional understanding of the state as a central figure in world politics has drastically changed. Globalization, in its current form, has rearranged the way global commerce functions. With many countries economically susceptible to the fluctuations of capitalist markets, our understanding of who rules the world has to consider the tremendous influence multinational corporations have.

Today's feature film, God, Tsar and Fatherland, is set in Russia and provides the perfect setting to witness the achievements and disastrous flaws of capitalism. Emulating his idol, Vladimir Putin, the central figure of the movie Mikhail Morozov owns a village where he attempts to instil Russian patriotism through a hierarchical system of authority.

The whole spectrum of state power - political, spiritual and administrative – gathers n the village for semi-private meetings with Morozov. They discuss the future of Russia, their ambitions and their goals. God, Tsar and Fatherland shows what drives Russian patriotism today and why they are against democracy.

In The News:

The Chicago Tribune reported that stability in Russia has become an ambiguous term as investors seem confident yet analysts are worried about power being concentrated in the Presidency. "Putin's government has abolished the election of governors, made it increasingly
difficult for human-rights groups to work in Russia and enacted laws that make
it virtually impossible for opposition parties to gain seats in parliament."
The Huffington Post's Eric Malone writes about American relations with the Russian President. "No, it would be bad to live under the arbitrary power of the state, where an
impotent voting populace would see self-perpetuating leaders install themselves
as Dictators for Life, looting the public coffers to line their own pockets, and
making a mockery of justice."
One of our own guest blggers, Sean, hails from Russia and has an interesting take on everything Russian, from football to politics.