Posted on 03/21/2014 6:43:40 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Theres not a lot to like about Vladimir Putin: hes autocratic, vain and runs a corrupt government. And he doesnt give a fig for human rights. The repression in Chechnya, the jailing of the businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the Pussy Riot protestors, the murders of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and of Alexander Litvinenko, the former spy all this happened on Putins watch. Who would not be on the side of the 100,000 people who turned out on Moscows streets last winter to protest against Putins election to a third term as president and to demand fair elections and an honest government? Russia would be better off without Putin who would argue otherwise?
As a matter of fact, millions would. Talk to many Russians and theyll tell you that life under Putin is vastly better than under Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin let a handful of oligarchs hoover up Russias wealth while ordinary Russians were reduced to selling their possessions on the street. Putin, by contrast, has quelled the economic mayhem inflation is down, pensions have increased. Even more importantly he has restored Russias sense of self-worth crushing the Chechen revolt, refusing to play along with the West over Syria
(Excerpt) Read more at intelligencesquared.com ...
Russia per capita income: $18,083
US per capita income: $54,609
Yet Putin's cronies are doing quit well. And the biggest problem is that Putin is not a conservative despite the fawning praise he gets from some here. Property rights in Russia are subject to the whim of Putin. It's why so many rich Russians live outside Russia. Guess where the wealthiest ones live. They're in London. So the Socialist UK respects property more than Putin the action hero of the dilettante fawning Putinistas.
In the news: “US and the EU imposed travel sanctions on several dozens officials from Russia and Ukraine
Can anyone catch the irony of all that?
During the Communist era, the Soviet Union and its satellite countries were forbidding their citizens to travel abroad.
Now, its the US and EU, those paragons of personal freedom, who do it. THEY are showing to Putin how THEY respect the international laws!
Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, including the United States and ALL the European countries, reads,
EVERYONE has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
I saw nothing wrong with putting those "Pussy Rioters" in jail; those girls have never experienced adult supervision I suppose.
Putin also knows that men and women are different.
On the surface anyway.
Note that all his anti-homosexual and pro-Christian news bits seemed to start popping up during the last 6 months or so - got him a lot of respect in some places before the recent forays into expanding his hegemony.
-——and runs a corrupt government——
Is the Putin Government more corrupt than the Obama government?
I don’t think so. Putin is a piker compared to Obama. If Putin had the money Obama has raked from the national treasury Russia would be in high cotton.
Corruption has degrees. I would postulate the current Russian corruption is less pervasive than before.On it’ worst day, the take in Russia pales in comparison to the corruptive theft of Obama et al.
Putin is saving Russia corruption and all. Obama is destroying America while laying up vast hoards somewhere off shore.
“t’s why so many rich Russians live outside Russia. Guess where the wealthiest ones live. They’re in London.”
Wealthy individuals can buy a UK visa for £2 million and a £500,000 gift to a designated charitable cause. The program is run under the home secretary’s migration advisory committee, which is considering auctions to sell UK visas. The visa scheme is popular with the global super-rich from Russia, the Middle East and China.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/25/uk-visa-sell-off-defended-government-advisers
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.