Thread: How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?

If he's the great Russian patriot he claims, he should be thinking about succession. Look at Tito before him- once he kicked the bucket, Yugoslavia disintegrated.

Originally Posted by sabang

If he's the great Russian patriot he claims, he should be thinking about succession. Look at Tito before him- once he kicked the bucket, Yugoslavia disintegrated.

"Great Russian patriot" = "Murderous thieving ex-spook".

Why they do not learn from others where they have every 4, 8 years a new one who will make the country great again?

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Why they do not learn from others where they have every 4, 8 years a new one who will make the country great again?

Because snarky, sophomoric deflection doesn't belong in a mature discussion. But yes, why don't they learn from others

Originally Posted by panama hat

But yes, why don't they learn from others

...how to run down the country and the trustful world either within the same 30 years...

Perhaps, he should listen to the wise ladies serving in the high positions (in case they really said it, who would believe it)
(another lady in such position mad much worse remarks about Mr.P.)

That Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, said that it is not fair that Russia possesses such vast natural resources. Variants of the quotes attributed to her include:

“How is it fair if a territory like Siberia belongs to only one country?”

and

“It is terribly unfair for Russia to have so much of the world’s natural resources.”

Source: Various media including Kommersant and Rossiiskaya Gazeta
FALSE
...unless you believe in mind-reading

There is no record that Albright ever made such a remark, and she has denied ever saying it. But for roughly a decade the former U.S. Secretary of State’s alleged designs on Siberia’s resource wealth have been repeated as fact by Russian media outlets, bloggers, and some top officials, including National Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev last year, children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov in 2013, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in 2012.

The claim has come up at two of President Vladimir Putin’s big set-piece annual events. In 2007, when asked about it in his annual call-in program, Putin said he was “not familiar with Mrs Albright’s statement, but I know some politicians have ideas like this in their heads.” And at his December 2014 annual press conference, Putin said Moscow had often heard officials say that “It is unfair that all of Siberia and its vast resources belong to Russia,” before implying that those officials were American. (Video at around the 37-minute mark)

The Siberia remark is often rolled out as evidence of a U.S. plan to weaken Russia in order to seize its resources. Sometimes it’s attributed not to Albright, but to a more recent U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice -- or simply to the United States, as when Patrushev said in January that Washington “believes that Russia possesses [its mineral resources] undeservingly.”

Did Madeleine Albright Ever Covet Siberia?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Try discussing the on topic opinions posted, rather cowering behind such a flimsy defences.

It's good that you're 'talking' to yourself, though a bit worrying

It's the type of forum conversation method.

Nothing can replace sitting in some comfy chairs with a table, beers or not, for the ultimate conversation.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Nothing can replace sitting in some comfy chairs with a table, beers or not, for the ultimate conversation.

Cannot disagree with you on that

Originally Posted by Klondyke

“How is it fair if a territory like Siberia belongs to only one country?”

The bitch found it fair to indirectly kill 500000 children in Iraq

"It was worth it"

^And another "worth" she got materialized for herself in Kosovo...

Originally Posted by OhOh

One wonders which countries exist where governments do not have such arrangements.The stone is rolling, with no moss stuck to it, so far.

Next stop the regions: Russian lawmakers approve final bill on amendments to constitution

"Russian legislators have given the final nod to a package of constitutional amendments proposed by President Vladimir Putin, which include giving sweeping new powers to parliament and tightening background checks on top officials. During the third and final reading in the State Duma on Wednesday, parliamentarians passed the bill amending Russia’s basic law in a 383-0 vote with 43 abstentions – all MPs from the opposition Communist Party.

The amendments then went to the upper house – the Federation Council – where 160 members voted yes, while one objected and three others abstained.

The only member of the body who voted no was the representative from the Irkutsk region Vyacheslav Markhaev, of the Communist Party. Three more abstained - Lyudmila Narusova (Tuva), Vasily Ikonnikov (Oryol Oblast) and Valery Usatyuk (Khakassia). The latter pair are also Communist Party members.

Now the law will be sent to the regions for their consideration: It must be supported by at least two-thirds of regional parliaments, according to the rules.

Assuming this is successful, the Federation Council is set to meet again on Saturday to approve these decisions.

Once the complex list of procedures is completed, Putin must then forward the proposed changes to the Constitutional Court, which will have seven days to decide whether or not they are contrary to Russia’s principal law. If the court green-lights the bill, it's scheduled be put to a nationwide vote on April 22, a one-off public holiday in Russia.

The constitutional amendments will come into effect if a majority of voters on the day support them. The president is then obliged to order the amended Constitution to be published, also setting the date when the entire document becomes valid.

The amendments involve, among other things, shifting some presidential powers to the Duma, restricting the president’s time in office to two overall terms, going forward, and banning officials from having foreign citizenship.

They also set the minimum wage above the basic cost of living, endorse traditional marriage between and a man and woman as solely legitimate and officially proclaim modern Russia the successor to the Soviet Union."

Next stop the regions: Russian lawmakers approve final bill on amendments to constitution — RT Russia News


It appears to be a 6 step process, of which two have been completed.

Step three requires two thirds of the regional parliaments agreement.

Step four requires the Russian Constitutional Court to decide they are not contrary to Russia's Principle Law.

Step five requires it be put to a nationwide vote on April 22, a one-off public holiday in Russia. (No mention of any requirement, so presumably 50+ %)

Step six the president is then obliged toorder the amended Constitution to be published and set the date for it's validity. ( One presumes the date could be before or after the date of the next required Presidential election.)

Amen

Originally Posted by OhOh

No finger pointing at others, no blame of foreigners. Just direction and planning. Compare and contrast in so many situations with the other alleged, "world leaders".

Most others don't either . . . you (and Klondyke) should stop insinuating all the time and just name them/say what's on your mind. It's neither clever nor mysterious, it just sounds rather dim. This is a discussion area . . . a written one, so your form of 'subtlety' doesn't translate

Originally Posted by panama hat

Most others don't either . . . you (and Klondyke) should stop insinuating all the time and just name them/say what's on your mind. It's neither clever nor mysterious, it just sounds rather dim. This is a discussion area . . . a written one, so your form of 'subtlety' doesn't translate

The problem is that they live in their own little whacky world, so fuck knows what they're on about most of the time.

Originally Posted by OhOh

No finger pointing at others, no blame of foreigners. Just direction and planning. Compare and contrast in so many situations with the other alleged, "world leaders".

Indeed, that's what reasonable people understand and appreciate: caring for that what needs to be care for, without blaming others. Even in the difficult conditions imposed by others.

As somebody remarked here lately: he is the only adult in this situation.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Most of the world's countries are not "world leaders". That rules out most of Asia, Africa, ME and South America along with the non-EU European countries.

Agree?

Depends on how you quantify it - still, just say what you are trying to cleverly be 'mysterious' about. As I said, a forum like this, or generally a written form of discourse, doesn't lend itself to insinuations . . . you said yourself that the best method of exchanging thoughts is sitting together with a beer . . . discussing.

Originally Posted by panama hat

you said yourself that the best method of exchanging thoughts is sitting together with a beer . . . discussing.

Fucking hell, are you having trouble sleeping PH?

If the Russians prefer a Czarist system of governance then let them have it. Democratic systems are messy and have their downsides, as well, but I am glad I chose to live in a country that nominally has that system (or at least pays lip service to it, mostly).

Unless, or until, humans get their shit together and form a one world government (democratically based, hopefully) then the untold suffering and inequity, wars and refugees, famines and exploitation, will continue.

Regardless of who is the leader of whichever powerful nation state is topic of the day, the world is f*cked for now.

To analyse the Putin phenomenon, you have to look at the situation following the collapse of the Berlin Wall, when Russia entered a period of virtual anarchy. I believe average male life expectancy dropped by close to a decade (puts this CV in perspective). Corruption, gangsterism and widespread alcoholism were the hallmarks of "newly democratic" Russia. The most successful of the corrupt, who played the cronyism game well, are todays Russian oligarchs. Others are dead. Putin, if I recall correctly, took over from that notorious drunk Boris Yeltsin.

In short, a strong leader was needed to sort the situation out, and get Russia back on track. No easy task, given the sheer size and diversity of that great nation, and the entrenched criminal networks rising to the very top. Enter Putin. He did so, and is credited with doing so by the Russian people. In the process, he restored their national pride. Hence his enduring popularity, which no western leader comes close to emulating. Naturally he has his enemies, and some of them have come to sticky ends, but they are far outnumbered by his fan club.

Originally Posted by sabang

To analyse the Putin phenomenon, you have to look at the situation following the collapse of the Berlin Wall, when Russia entered a period of virtual anarchy. I believe average male life expectancy dropped by close to a decade (puts this CV in perspective). Corruption, gangsterism and widespread alcoholism were the hallmarks of "newly democratic" Russia. The most successful of the corrupt, who played the cronyism game well, are todays Russian oligarchs. Others are dead. Putin, if I recall correctly, took over from that notorious drunk Boris Yeltsin.

In short, a strong leader was needed to sort the situation out, and get Russia back on track. No easy task, given the sheer size and diversity of that great nation, and the entrenched criminal networks rising to the very top. Enter Putin. He did so, and is credited with doing so by the Russian people. In the process, he restored their national pride. Hence his enduring popularity, which no western leader comes close to emulating. Naturally he has his enemies, and some of them have come to sticky ends, but they are far outnumbered by his fan club.

Putin is gold, and the best European leader out there

Originally Posted by sabang

Naturally he has his enemies, and some of them have come to sticky ends, but they are far outnumbered by his fan club.

Exactly the impression one can create when one controls the media, bans opposition gatherings, and executes critics.

Putin relies on the feeble minded to continue his autocracy and institutional theft.