Erasure, Soviet Style

Today, the NY Times published an article about the tightening noose around critics of the government in Russia.

"On a talk show last fall, a prominent political analyst named Mikhail G. Delyagin had some tart words about Vladimir V. Putin.  When the program was later televised, Mr. Delyagin was not.

Not only were his remarks cut – he was also digitally erased from the show, like a disgraced comrade airbrushed from an old Soviet photo.”

A grimly amusing photo accompanied the article.  To the right of the man with the microphone one can see the disembodied hand and leg of Mr. Delyagin.  Apparently, the authorities missed those limbs when they were censoring the critic out of existence.