The Post's Russia Standard Is Very Different from Its U.S. Standard

An article on Russia's economy reported on a speech by Russian Prime Minister Vladimer Putin:

"He talked about 'bitter pills' of economic retrenchment. He said wages had outstripped productivity, threatening inflation."

It then added a parenthetical sentence:

"That's largely because of government policies."

This is a sharp departure from the practice in reporting on U.S. and European economic problems. For example, when reporting on speeches or actions by Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben B...