Regards, Ivan
Posted on 02/23/2005 11:15:42 PM PST by MadIvan
It was less than a year ago that President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a second term at the Grand Kremlin Palace in a ceremony more befitting the coronation of a tsar.
There was an 18-gun salute, a slow march by the ornately dressed presidential guard and endless rhythmic clapping by Russia's elite in the best of Soviet traditions.
Such was the national mood after the former KGB man's landslide victory at the polls that one leading political supporter, echoing public sentiment, begged him to accept the presidency for life.
Today, as Mr Putin meets President Bush, there are unlikely to be similar sycophantic calls and he is likely to receive a chiding from the US leader.
For the first time in his presidency, the judo black-belt appears unsteady on his feet.
Once known as the Teflon president for his deft handling of public opinion, he is increasingly seen as a ham-fisted leader who is out of touch with the needs of ordinary Russians.
In the past two months hundreds of thousands have demonstrated throughout Russia to denounce the president's policies, the largest protests in the country for more than five years.
His popularity in the army and police - formerly mainstays of his support - are reputed to be falling. In a panicked attempt to plug his leaking support, the president ordered army salaries to be increased by 20 per cent and police pay by up to 50 per cent.
But such measures will hurt an economy that has already lost some shine and could further fuel demands by millions of other Russians for a greater slice of the pie.
After the Yukos affair, the Beslan school shoot-out and the crisis in Ukraine, there is a growing sense that the once mighty Mr Putin is now vulnerable.
Dmitry Rogozin, once a Putin protégé and one of the leaders of the nationalist party, Rodina, said it was time Mr Putin took the blame. He said: "Why are we pretending that the tsar is good and it is the courtiers that are bad?"
Mr Bush's chiding, though irritating, will be the least of Mr Putin's worries.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm... but I am sure he will have his own Diebold to re-elect him /kidding
Putin responded by saying Russia will embrace democracy at the pace it chooses. yet that is not what President Bush was challenging Putin on. It was Putin's crack down on the media and his seizure of private assets.
The problem here is not the pace of progress, it's the downward drift toward their old ways
He should. There are no other alternatives to Putin.
Yeltsin allowed the oligarchs to seize the major industries in exchange for bribes.
Putin has had to deal with horrific terror attacks such as the theater invasion, bombings, Beslan and other attacks.
Is there anyone here who doesn't think his restrictions on the media is a good idea under these circumstances? His media is as anti government as ours.
Putin has revealed himself as a vile POS not worth the trust of any sane person on this planet.
Putin is the KGB agent he always was.
Putin doesnt care about fighting terrorists because if he did then he would not be supplying Syria and Iran.
Also Putin helped attacks on his country happen so he could put down restrictions in the name of security.
Putin is no friend.
bttt
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