Putin's Crowning Glory

Wall Street Journal ^ | December 9, 2003 | GEOFFREY T. SMITH

[OESY]

MOSCOW -- The allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin won a historic victory in elections at the weekend, giving the Kremlin effective control of the Duma, or lower house of parliament, for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union. Mr. Putin's allies in the United Russia party gained most at the expense of the Communist Party, which continued to wither. But the elections also contained two much less savory aspects: a huge protest vote from those who have yet to benefit from his rule, and a collapse in support for the only parties committed to Western-style liberalism.

[Savage Beast]

Russia's biggest problems are political disorganization, crime, the economy, a decreasing population, Chechnya, and China. That's staggering.

The U.S. could help--and could use an ally rich in human, strategic, and natural resources like Russia.

The immigration into the U.S. of millions of young, energetic, Western, non-Muslim, Latin Americans, especially Mexicans, could prove advantageous as they are assimilated into the U.S. population.

North and South Americans could provide Europe and Russia a young work force alternative to Muslims.

President Bush should give top priority to strengthening the Western Alliance, bringing Russia into NATO, and bringing NATO into NAFTA.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Both were fatally wounded by their closeness to the oligarchs, on whom they depend for funding.

What's next? Is the WSJ going to draw a bead between popular voting patterns and patterns of financial support? If you just got plutocrats backing you, you can't expect to win in a democratic election.

[dfwgator]

I think this is good news for Russia-US relations. The old guard hardliners in the Duma kept Putin from moving Russia more towards the West, with them out of the picture, Putin can move forward.

[RussianConservative]

Peoples have spoken and they were wrong...now time for magnemonious West to come and reeducate peoples for revote...and revote...and revote...till right result reached.

[RussianConservative]

russian ping

[Centurion2000]

Go Putin