On the contrary, they existed for a purpose: the Russian elite wanted everybody to operate in violation of one law or another, because that meant that everybody was liable at any time to arrest.
The contradictory regulations were not a mistake, they were a form of control.
WOW! Does that not sound familiar?
Atlas Shrugged
The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
Obama, then, is the puppet of Putin. That is a fit.