Under criticism for reverting to a more authoritarian form of government -- evidenced by disputed elections and media crackdowns -- Russia';s ruling party has begun a marketing blitz to promote the image of a free and fair democracy. But the results have been spotty. One notable failure has been a "hip" line of t-shirts showing Soviet dictators like Josef Stalin and Vladimir Lenin wearing "I Voted" pins. There is also a Stalinized version of the "Vote or Die!" t-shirt, which reads, "Vote or Die, or Be Assigned to a Gulag Labor Camp." And, courting the youth vote, officials unveiled their version of the "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt from Napoleon Dynamite, which reads "Vote for Pedro... if, by ';Pedro,'; you Mean Pro-Kremlin United Russia." Despite lackluster tee sales, the government stands by its campaign. "If you don';t vote, you can';t complain," said Dmitry Maslov, a Kremlin spokesperson. "But seriously, even if you do vote, it';s probably not a good idea to complain. Just saying."
male, female - adult