Putin Laments Death of the Soviet Union

ABC News ^ | Feb. 12

[nickcarraway]

Russian President Vladimir Putin Laments Death of Soviet Union in Campaign Speech

MOSCOW Feb. 12 — President Vladimir Putin used a campaign speech Thursday to declare the demise of the Soviet Union a "national tragedy on an enormous scale," in what appeared to be his strongest-ever lament of the collapse of the Soviet empire. Putin, a former agent of the Soviet KGB spy agency, has praised aspects of the Soviet Union in the past but never so robustly nor in such an important political setting.

"The breakup of the Soviet Union is a national tragedy on an enormous scale," from which "only the elites and nationalists of the republics gained," Putin said in a nationally televised speech to about 300 campaign workers gathered at Moscow State University.

The president's language was sure to send a chill through the 14 other former Soviet republics that have been independent from Moscow rule for more than a decade.

In the past and to audiences from the former republics, Putin has sought to ease fears about Russia having designs on rebuilding the old empire.

In September remarks after a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States the grouping of former Soviet republics Putin said:

"The Soviet Union (was) a very complicated page in the history of our people," adding "that train has left."

But on Thursday, he spoke in a much stronger tone, appearing to play to Russian nationalism.

"I think that ordinary citizens of the former Soviet Union and the post-Soviet space gained nothing from this. On the contrary, people have faced a huge number of problems," he said.

"Today we must look at the reality we live in. We cannot only look back and curse about this issue. We must look forward," he said.

Across town, meanwhile, Putin challengers in the election next month refused to debate among themselves in a television program called for that purpose. The candidates said a debate was meaningless without Putin, who says he doesn't need the free television advertising.

At the taping of what was to be the first debate ahead of the March 14 vote, four of Putin's six challengers answered questions from the studio audience, but then rejected the host's appeal that they debate each other.

"Bring Vladimir Putin here and we will have a debate," independent liberal candidate Irina Khakamada said, winning applause from the audience.

Calling it pointless to debate with anyone but Putin, "my main competitor", Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov said that by ignoring the debates, "Putin is depriving the population of the right to choose."

Also at the taping were candidates Sergei Glazyev of the populist-nationalist Homeland Party and Oleg Malyshkin of Vladimir Zhirinovsky's ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party.

Regardless of Putin's public declarations about campaign advertising, state-controlled television channels already lavish him with extensive coverage as on Thursday when state-run Rossiya showed his remarks live.

Addressing a packed auditorium at Moscow State University, Putin said: "The head of state should not engage in self-advertising."

"Nevertheless," he continued, "I am simply obliged before my voters and the entire country to account for what has been done during the past four years, and to tell people what I intend to do during the next four years."

Responding to a question after his state-of-the-nation-style speech, Putin said that the 1991 Soviet collapse which most Russians regret led to few gains and many problems for ordinary citizens.

Turning to global politics, Putin said that Russia must become a "full-fledged member of the world community" and assailed those in the West who still have a Cold War-era distrust of Russia. They "can't get out of the freezer," he said.

Putin reiterated his stated opposition to prolonging his time in office, limited to two terms. But he indicated he would choose a preferred successor, saying that the task of any top leader "is to propose to society a person he considers worthy to work further in this position."

Some Putin opponents had considered boycotting the presidential election, saying a fair vote was impossible in Russia today, and the refusal to debate in Thursday's program reflected the candidates' anger at the president's dominance of the campaign.

Some political analysts said, however, the public does not expect Putin to debate.

"They see the head of state as a monarch who shouldn't participate in discussions with those below him in the hierarchy," said Andrei Ryabov of the Carnegie Institute in Moscow said.

The Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe said the state-controlled media's parliamentary campaign coverage was slanted toward pro-Putin forces and accused the government of pressuring news media, to limit opposition views.

[DarkWaters]

RC,

Stick to things you know and understand. Those who seek Islamic conquest as you call it have a very communist attitude and system installed in their society. No surprise considering that they have been propped up by then the Soviet Union and now Russia and here one time allies that seem to still associate with the government in Russia. The seed doesn't fall far from the tree.,

Then you say this:

Your total war would end all Western civilization and leave land open to Islamic conquest

First, how would it end Western civilization? Given the fact that Western civilization is nearing its own end because it would not fight a war to the point where the opposition is crushed while at the same time the opposition fights the war so western civilization is crushed totally(what a contradiction you are finding yourself in already, care to explain?). It would not fight the social war that is being waged within its own borders to overturn laws and customs that kept society stable and look at the instability created as a result(as intended by the communist enemy). Had it, it would not be looking at gay marriage, abortion, break down in the family, and the list can go on and on. It would not fight the political war, just appease it to the point where no one can fight back even if they want to.. A war is a war. You vaguely insert talk that one would assume that you are the authority on understanding the bodies that litter the fields as if they are really fighting for nothing. What an insult and injustice you do them, sir. I surmise by your assertion(not having total war against an enemy) we should all lay down to the leftism that is creeping around the globe(not just in the U.S.), after all we would finally have peace if we would just give in. Anything less would be meaningless deaths, is that it? Please explain yourself sir. And please do explain the phrase:

As for Cold War farce

Had we destroyed the communist enemy early on, the Cold War would never had happen. It was a clear sign that we didn’t have what it took to deal with a real enemy that could hurt us, we wanted to take the easy way out. The Cold War said to them that we were willing to tolerate their existence provide they don’t cross certain lines which they did anyway. We just redrew those lines, which only made matter worse(in lives and credibility). By definition all those that lost their lives in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, MiddleEast and throughout Africa and South America would not have happened had we snuffed the evil at the very beginning. O and by the way you left out Europe, Russia herself and the surrounding states, and you left out Stalin’s support for Mao Zedong(which eventually lead to 60-100 million deaths under his reign alone.) That also would not have happened. Had we had the stomach then we can say that Hitler would never had been allowed to do what he did either. So there are a so many lives that could have been saved had total war been the attitude of the West where and when it counted. As it stood no one had the stomach to sacrifice lives that where close to them, but was alright to sacrifice lives of those they didn’t to a bunch of wolfs. Go back and reread at least some history and you may sound coherent in your logic in the future. Otherwise quit propagating lies and incoherent thought.

[GOP_1900AD]

DW, to draw an analogy, the West are like hobbits, but ones who have fallen to sin and decadence. We are not, as a society, natural born fighters and conquerors. Look at how much we are out of our element in dealing with Iraq. We would have had to overcome our own innate tendencies back around 1920 or so to have avoided this predicament. Now, of course, we shall indeed pay the price for our past failures to bite the bullet, get outside of our cultural and geopolitical comfort zone, and really clean house. Thanks for the post!

[GOP_1900AD]

No matter how many soldiers' lives are wasted by skirmishes and self limited war, the strategy of detente, draw and armistice is the province of fools.

[GOP_1900AD]

Any time Putin wants to publicly denounce Communism and call for discarding old Soviet symbols and anthems, he can be my guest. Also, the minute he puts all the Communists in the brig (inluding the remade ones) he'll win my support.

[Agamemnon]

No, I just don't want give a long thesis on the historically obvious.

...but, as even Reagan at Rekjavik was mistaken by the Howard Phillips-style "pundit-iots" at the time as Gorby's typical "useful idiot," Reagan's strategic thinking proved to be wisdom the lesser informed -- both in present reality AND historically -- failed to comprehend at the time.

While it is true that I miss Reagan, I continue to marvel at the way Bush's lesser critics wind up digging their own holes, their carping and viewpoints eventually passing "Go" as it were, only en route to their own shrinking relevancy.

[GOP_1900AD]

Who is an oligarch, who is a criminal, who is a fascist, who is an FSB agent disguised as a businessman, and who is simply a duped reformist who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? As always, Russia sows confusion, and makes it so that the Westerners really don't know who to trust. A wilderness of mirrors is created and maintained. The only constants are the movement of Western funds and technologies to the East, increasing Western economic depedence on the East, as well as ongoing myopic military draw down based on the fiction that great war between large powers has been forever banished from the earth. Enjoy your booty and new lands. In a way, you deserve them - not due to any innate merit, but due to our collective stupidity and slothfulness. What we face is not unlike what the Polish - Lithuanian knighthood faced in the 1420s, and for many of the same reasons. May God help us.

[GOP_1900AD]

1420s s/b 1240s .. typing way too fast here.... sorry.

[milkncookies]

So how IS Mr. Rybkin coming along? I do hope he doesn't get hold of any more bad tea.

[1rudeboy]

". . . only the elites and nationalists of the republics gained."

Nationalists? Sacre Bleu!

[GOP_1900AD]

As we know, the Tartar-Rus (a true characterization of Modern Russians) are brilliant at mind control and assassination druggings. This has always been a large effort within the auspices of chem war R&D, which has continued unabated long after the "break up of the USSR." This is indeed a very ancient art. In a battle which I alluded to in a post above, Polish - Lithuanian knights and their Western allies were confronted with a primative chemical attack by the Tartars. The Tartars had mounted on top of one of their standards (this is just like something the orcs in LOTR would have had!) a hideous looking figure of the head, made of plaster and light silk stretched across a light frame. Inside it was a mixture of nausea inducing aromatic oils and rancid flesh (human?). At the appointed moment, the standard bearer shook the standard spreading the foul mixture and inducing any nearby Pol - Lith knights to cease fighting due to wretching. How the Tartars withstood this remains a mystery, perhaps crude early MOPP gear embedded within their armor. Dirty tricks are a way of life east of the Dnieper.

[DarkWaters]

In away you could draw some analogy between the west and the hobbits(i.e. not being prepared to fight), but to be honest the very nature of the hobbit was their innocence. They new of nothing else than their daily lives, they didn't have to deal with 'evil' in their closed society. That very closed concept insulated them, and kept them pure. When evil did show its head, a few young ones took it on themselves to go out and deal with something they new nothing about. They stepped up to the plate, and took matters into their own hands despite the fear that crept into their hearts. The west on the other hand, knows exactly what evil is, and are now starting to role themselves naked in it like a kid rolling themselves naked in a poison ivy patch. They have had the power and let it slip through their grasps. They didn't want the burden(i.e. responsibility) that went along with the power they had accumulated. By doing so, people did whatever they wanted and they have turned a blind eye to the evil that was sure to eventually come along just like the men who are without a king in Tolkien’s story. They damn well know right from wrong. They are just to selfish and self absorbed with themselves to care until they are forced to do so. The same goes for those who are not of the eastern mind set yet follow the easterners. I just hope once they are forced to do so, that it isn't to late(equivalent to Sauronconquering all of Middle Earth).

Thanks for the post!

Your welcome.

[milkncookies]

Paging Zalimkhan Yandarbiyev! Call for Zalimkhan Yandarbiyev!

[montag813]

Putin Laments Death of the Soviet Union

What a inspiring vision of the future! Sounds like he should be running as a Democrat.

[RussianConservative]

Fortunet, your support not required for Russian prosperity or stability or future....do not be so disappointed when your view ignored.

[RussianConservative]

Those who seek Islamic conquest as you call it have a very communist attitude and system installed in their society

Islamic conquest, you mean like US allie: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bosnia, KLA, Egypt?

[RussianConservative]

It is not matter of stomach, US businessmen like Armnhammer and Ford and British Rothchildes and German Kaiser made soviets, financed soviets and used evil regime to steal Russian wealth. That reason soviets exist and win Civil War.

[RussianConservative]

What, Pure capitalism gobbles up peoples just same, that is why government anit monopoly rules. I was not trying to impress high likes of you...so do not sweat it, I don't.

If you had two cents to read whole thing and have even single unimpressive incling of Russian or what said, you obviously don't, Putin (who unlike Bush actually make conservative and capitalist action in Russia as opposed to Bush socialism in US) said he regret fall of Soviet Union (the nation) not Communism (the political/economic system)...but that is deeper thought then 30 second commercial, you're forgiven.

[DarkWaters]

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bosnia, KLA, Egypt

Who infiltrated the Saudi wahabist sect? The KGB. Yes we did coddle Saudi Arabia because of their oil, but then again had we had the courage to tell them to put a sock in it and deal immediately with the sects that became pawns for the KGB, this would also be a forgone conclusion much like the rest of communism and Hitler. But since we now have Saddam gone, and as a result a base of operations to do what we feel is need should reforms not take place in this region(including the two timers in the House of Saud, not a bad idea to establish a beach head first). Pakistan has had more than just the U.S. helping here which by comparison is minimal We have over looked the two timings of Pervez Musharraf and the ISI. This will come back to haunt us. But lets see who else has had more aid and influence with them shall we(how convenient for you to leave them out as well). Iran, Myanmar, Lybia, North Korea, O yea the Russian government, and especially the Chinese government controlling the ISI. Bosnia(also equivalent to the KLA since they all work together) as we all know has had radical Islamic infiltration in a region that was ruled with an iron hand of known communist. Stuff like that doesn't happen unless its sanctioned by those with the iron hand. Then of course you conveniently leave out Bill Clinton and company(and true to their leftist form, they ran around as saviors of humanity, more talk and bluster than real action as we all saw). Then their was Russian troops ordered to take over the Pristina Airport before NATO forces arrived. They did it with the efficiency of a well trained and determined spetsnaz team. And here I thought they where broke and unable to deploy forces that where well trained. Another convenient piece that you leave out. And there is Egypt. The same Egypt where the pro-westerner Anwar al-Sadat was assassinated. No doubt attributable to the Kremlin via radical Islamists to destabilize the region. Then we get Hosni Mubarak, who kept things more or less calm in Egypt though still allowed the radicals to foment their aggression(and this was even going on during the days of the cold war, so lets be honest here sir). This is just another attack by you to blame America for all the problems that are going on. You conveniently leave out the history that went on here in the hopes that you will trip me up. Since this salvo is rather weak in its own nature, it certainly seems that you are desperately trying to find something that would make you king of the mountain.

Your carte blanche with these countries shows dishonesty in your intentions.

[Destro]

Minnesota didn't build 30,000 nuclear warheads and promise to "bury" the United States.

Neither did Russia.

[Destro]

We Americans are going through an inferiority complex. We wish we had a Putin in chief.