I C DISSinformtion

August 11, 2006 5:06 PM

icdiss.org looks, at first glance, like your run-of-the-mill think tank website. Two recent articles, one in The Economist and another on economist.com, say that the International Council for Democratic Institutions and State Sovereignty is, in reality, geopolitical astroturf for the Kremlin and the rulers of Transdniestria. Both of these articles are by journalist Edward Lucas (his blog).

The organization even has a wikipedia entry. The entry has a fascinating talk page, with Edward Lucas contributing additional research he's done since the articles were published.

So... want to become a member? Before deciding, maybe you want to read an interview with the program director. It's in the Transdniestrian English-language publication The Tiraspol Times & Weekly Review (slogans: "daily news, independent and objective" and "Get the Facts!").
posted by Kattullus (10 comments total)

Interesting stuff—thanks for the post! Could have done without the paragraph breaks, though.
posted by languagehat at 5:27 PM on August 11, 2006

Yes! I second Languagehat's interest. I have some learning to do about " the Rodney Dangerfield of countries because it just can't get any respect".
posted by nickyskye at 6:28 PM on August 11, 2006

Its website is registered at a hotel address in Mexico, with a phone that does not answer, and operated from a server in Latvia.

Wow, it sounds really international... hands across the water, uniting for cheesy beakaway kleptocracies!
posted by Meatbomb at 6:38 PM on August 11, 2006

How do you tell a Russian from a Ukranian? (I mean besides language)
posted by delmoi at 7:07 PM on August 11, 2006

Uh, in Russia, government kranes you?
posted by maryh at 7:12 PM on August 11, 2006

This is "I Love Bees" for William Gibson's next novel, isn't it?
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:14 PM on August 11, 2006

Come to beautiful Pridnestrovie where we have the cleanest prostitiutes in all of central Asia!
posted by nyxxxx at 9:20 PM on August 11, 2006

Can I respect the writings of a group that uses "seizes" instead of "ceases" ?
posted by Cranberry at 10:47 PM on August 11, 2006

Excellent post!
posted by CCBC at 11:44 AM on August 12, 2006

Think tanks that serve the purposes of the people that fund them while still attempting to appear independent and scholarly? This is standard operating procedure for at least 75% of think tanks.
posted by bhouston at 1:59 PM on August 12, 2006