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It's not about sainthood, but about simple decency, that I think Putin sorely lacks.
He was among the gang that plundered Russia back in the nineties, he personally benefited from it, he was appointed by Yeltsin to keep those who did it unpunished, (except for few members of mafia that challenged the new *God father,*) and he is going to defend now the wealth and power of the new upper class ( and his own well-being of course) till the last Russian.
And all of it is packaged as the "National interests of Russia" of course.
Putin has definitely a lot of public "decency", he is well articulated and sharp...improvement in Russia living standard are very tangible and he continuously stresses the utmost need of further improvement, diversification of the economy, technological advancement, less bureaucracy......Russia could have done much worse...Russians seems willing to stick with him in an overwhelming majority.
All major countries have oligarchies strongly defended by the political class...what is new?? Putin doesn't seems to me less "decent" than the Chinese Communist party...and the entire world is too happy to do business with China...
Putin has definitely a lot of public "decency", he is well articulated and sharp...
I have no idea what "public decency" is in this case, really.. And I never said that Putin was dumb.
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improvement in Russia living standard are very tangible
They came as a direct result of oil prices; when oil prices went down, the reality of those "living standards" started settling in.
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and he continuously stresses the utmost need of further improvement, diversification of the economy, technological advancement, less bureaucracy....
A lot of Russians are actually weary of him "stressing" those things. Because once he "stresses" those things in his public speeches, the practical outcome of the daily life is more and more opposite of his speeches.
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Russia could have done much worse...Russians seems willing to stick with him in an overwhelming majority.
I can't blame them. After everything they've been through, they don't want any more nasty surprises and sudden "changes." Plus they are very weary of their security on international front, and Putin comes across as a savvy man.
So they count on him on that front.
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All major countries have oligarchies strongly defended by the political class...what is new??
Except that Russian Oligarchy is particularly vial ( keeping in mind even the origin of it,) and has tendency to spend/keep its money abroad.
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Putin doesn't seems to me less "decent" than the Chinese Communist party...and the entire world is too happy to do business with China...
I place the "Communist party of China" in the same crap bin, and I look at the US decision to move their workshop there for additional profits as a biggest mistake they ever made - that is the biggest mistake after the one they made back in the nineties while trying to destroy Russia financially.
It all went downhill for America from that point on. The world/countries start stagnating without the worthy competition. Such is a rule of nature.
I have no idea what "public decency" is in this case, really.. And I never said that Putin was dumb.
They came as a direct result of oil prices; when oil prices went down, the reality of those "living standards" started settling in.
A lot of Russians are actually weary of him "stressing" those things. Because once he "stresses" those things in his public speeches, the practical outcome of the daily life is more and more opposite of his speeches.
I can't blame them. After everything they've been through, they don't want any more nasty surprises and sudden "changes." Plus they are very weary of their security on international front, and Putin comes across as a savvy man.
So they count on him on that front.
Except that Russian Oligarchy is particularly vial ( keeping in mind even the origin of it,) and has tendency to spend/keep its money abroad.
I place the "Communist party of China" in the same crap bin, and I look at the US decision to move their workshop there for additional profits as a biggest mistake they ever made - that is the biggest mistake after the one they made back in the nineties while trying to destroy Russia financially.
It all went downhill for America from that point on. The world/countries start stagnating without the worthy competition. Such is a rule of nature.
A wonderful collection of myths. What is really touching is when citizens in expensive jeeps and with new IPhones, suffer from poverty)) yeah ))
I place the "Communist party of China" in the same crap bin, and I look at the US decision to move their workshop there for additional profits as a biggest mistake they ever made - that is the biggest mistake after the one they made back in the nineties while trying to destroy Russia financially.
It all went downhill for America from that point on. The world/countries start stagnating without the worthy competition. Such is a rule of nature.
Darling erasure, I often lose you when you go off on ideological tangents, but in practical terms you are spot on here, I agree: the US needs an ornery, slightly nasty, and definitely competitive Russia to preserve its own good, like looking in a mirror, somewhat distorted, yes, but still necessary for self-improvement.
Most people can't fathom that, but that doesn't make it any less a rule of nature.
I tend to agree with both of you in ways. Life for Russians have improved under Putin for whatever reasons but not all people have benfitted. What I think is going on in Russia is the creation of wealth disparities which we are seeing the world over.
I do not agree with Olshansky. He raises the right problem: greatness of the country. This is right question. Russia is an empire (in mental plane). Only in this case, the country can be stable. But Olshansky believes that the country should be a superpower. I think this is not so. Russia has never been a superpower, with the exception of several decades of Soviet period. And price of this was too high.
But Russia was a great power for the last centuries before Soviets. And money freely walked between Russia and West. Elite of Russia was part of elites of the West. I think we need to strive for this.
Russia should have a firm (respond to a provocations rigidly and strongly) but calm position. Otherwise, we will have to lower the Iron Curtain and do the over-power again. I don't think that this is a good way.
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Originally Posted by erasure
P.S. Crimea was a geopolitical necessity for him, from strategic point of view.
He couldn't do without it. If no importance from strategic/military point of view, he would have sold Russians living there in the same manner as he has sold them in Donbass.
I am sure that Russian lands will return to Russia. Ukraine and Belarus will tire of playing independence and return to Russia again. Russians, Ukrainians and Belorussians are single nation in generally. But if Russia will start to collect land by force, this will lead to a problems. Lands should want to return, as the Crimea wanted. If half residents don't want, then this will lead to problems.
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Prokudin-Gorsky photographed 3 times through colored glass. These are real colors.
It probably had a green roof
