Putin (1 Viewer)

[V.I. Lenin]

I quite enjoy Russian history (as my username hints). I am intrested in how you all feel about the current despot...errr leader of Russia Vladimir Putin? All joking from me aside, do you believe he is the first leader of a capitalistic-democratic Russia or a step backwards towards Soviet Dictatorship once again?

 

[GarzaUK]

Step back to dictatorship most likely, I don't see any improvements in Russia at all since the fall of the Soviet Union. Their currency is poor, corruption is rife. I wouldn't be surprised in the next 10 years Russia will be a dictatorship again.
Russia may be democratic in name, but it's actions and policies are Soviet in nature. But that might be the Russian attitute to life.
I like Russian girls though, met some in Bulgaria, so hot! lol

 

[Schweddy]

I found this article on one of the news sites I visit and find it relevant to this discussion.
I think his intension's are good, but not sure. It could be just lip service for the world.

Source: VOA News

Rssian President Vladimir Putin says Russia has no future, if it turns its back on democracy. In his annual state-of-the-nation address Monday at the Kremlin's Marble Hall, he urged lawmakers and the public to strengthen democracy and rule of law.

President Putin says freedom, rule of law and a basic respect for human rights must be the hallmark of Russian institutions and society, as the nation works toward his promise of a better future.

In remarks broadcast live on state television, President Putin said Russia's place in the world will be defined by strength and success in both democratic and economic gains.

 

[Blue Hobgoblin]

Putin is not good for Russia's infant democracy. It's like taking a person who's almost recovered from a cold and put him out in a blizzard.

 

[V.I. Lenin]

Putin is not good for Russia's infant democracy. It's like taking a person who's almost recovered from a cold and put him out in a blizzard.

Care to elaborate on this? Are you saying he's too democratic for Russia? That democracy is coming too fast to a country not used to such a system?

 

[Blue Hobgoblin]

No, I'm saying he's hurting democracy. The "cold" I'm referring to is the centuries of dictatorship, whether czar or Soviet, Russia has to endure. Russia is still recovering from this and is trying to form a working democracy. Putin is harmful in that he could push Russia back to its authoritarian past, like the blizzard might cause the person to catch another cold.

 

[V.I. Lenin]

Oooh. Well that certainly makes more sense, i was about to blast you for calling Putin "too democratic" :2razz:

Putin surely is no Stalin, but he's in NO way the leader of a "democracy".

 

[Atlas]

Putin surely is no Stalin, but he's in NO way the leader of a "democracy".

Quite true.
Vladimir Putin is in the style of leaders that the Russian people love. Like Peter the great said "Russia Loves The Whip". No 100% democratic leader would make it in the Russian environment of politics and in the face of the Russian people.

By: Atlas

 

[Comrade Brian]

Putin is better than people like bush/stalin/Hitler(hard to decipher between the three), but putin is both a capitalist and seems to want commies to favor him, since latest polls say two-thirds of russians want ussr back, d***, a third said they'd rather be under stalin than now, shows that even soviet-socialism was always better than capitalism, so putin justs wants favor, especially when soviet system was popular!

I always thought that even soviets were still better than capitalists(lenin,trotsky were the best)

 

[Gandhi>Bush]

You're telling me they'd rather be under Stalin?

Show me a source man. I don't believe that.

 

[V.I. Lenin]

Putin is better than people like bush/stalin/Hitler(hard to decipher between the three), but putin is both a capitalist and seems to want commies to favor him, since latest polls say two-thirds of russians want ussr back, d***, a third said they'd rather be under stalin than now, shows that even soviet-socialism was always better than capitalism, so putin justs wants favor, especially when soviet system was popular!

I always thought that even soviets were still better than capitalists(lenin,trotsky were the best)

Well now now now, lets not jump to conclusions. I'm sure they don't want to live under Stalin again, I'm a devout socialist and would chose anyone over that megalomanical despot know as Stalin.

Gandhi, here's the source

MOSCOW (Reuters) - "More Russians would prefer a return to communism than back the government's current reform plan, an opinion poll has shown.
Support for the government has taken a battering from opposition to an unpopular plan to replace in-kind benefits with cash, although President Vladimir Putin's popularity has been less severely damaged.

Tens of thousands of pensioners took to the streets to protest what they said were miserly payments, and forced a series of concessions from the government.

According to the survey published Tuesday by ROMIR Monitoring of 1,500 Russians, only 17 percent backed the current reform programme while 21 percent favoured a "return to socialism". 57 percent said reform should be more socially targeted.

The last time more Russians wanted communism than Putin's reform was in May 2001, ROMIR said.

Other reforms have led to higher power and water bills and taken away the right to free housing for most Russians, although major reforms to modernise the armed forces and to dismantle state monopolies have been largely put on hold".

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050301/3/3qyie.html

Now, it says only 21% want the Soviet Union back.

 

[Gandhi>Bush]

21% is certainly not 2/3rds. I don't think anyone wants stalin back.

 

[Arch Enemy]

I totally agree. Saying that Russia wants Stalin, is like saying Germany wants Hitler back, or China wants Mao Ze Dong back.

Putin seems he has the right words, words that'll encourage the development of a democratic Russia, but those are just words. His actions aren't heading them into that direction but as said before, in terms of elections, Russia is more Democratic than the United States.

 

[Gandhi>Bush]

My main complaint about Putin is his eagerness to sell weapons.

The US is just as guilty I know. I don't support that either.

 

[ludahai]

My main complaint about Putin is his eagerness to sell weapons.

The US is just as guilty I know. I don't support that either.

Putin's sales of massive amounts of arms to China has many people in Taiwan concerned, that is for sure.