Russia…Iran Redux?

Russian election: police, troops and youth groups stifle anti-Putin protests | World news | guardian.co.uk.

It’s early yet, but I wonder if the emergent movement against United Russia and Putin doesn’t have a lot more in common with Iran’s 2009 than either Egypt/Tunisia/Libya or Greece/Spain/Italy.  Something much more clearly aimed at achieving a properly functioning liberal democracy than exploring more radical and democratic alternatives.  Putin is using forms of state repression similar to those deployed in Iran as well.  It will be interesting to see.