The West's Growing Disillusionment with Vladimir Putin

GOPUSA ^ | 12/20/04 | Carol Devine-Molin

[tornado100]

Putin never got past his KGB background. Does he intend to alienate the west?

[Halgr]

There are some that say he pulled the wool over bush's eyes....

[G.Mason]

On a positive note, the Bear stirring may well awaken the Euroweenies to the stark realization that perhaps, just perhaps, the United States is the lesser of the evils. ;)

[DustyMoment]

I have long foreseen that Putin would invoke his old USSR-KGB roots and try to return Russia to the "good old" days of the repressive Soviet-era. His attempted poisoning of Viktor Yuschenko is clear enough proof of that, but Putin has gone further. He has encouraged Russian subs to be aggressive around American warships in international waters - a clear return to the days of the Soviet era gone by.

Putin, in short, is NOT someone to be trusted and NOT a man with whom Bush should be doing business. Bush is taking the right steps by keeping Putin at arms length.

[tornado100]

Dusty: You saw the Putin problem coming long before I did. Up until this year, I thought he was doing fine. Or maybe I believed what I wanted to believe. I guess we really shouldn't trust ex-KGB. Or is he still KGB?

[Reactionary]

Personally, I've always thought of Putin as an oily Stalinist thug.

[bobjam]

Russian autocracy was not in and of itself the root cause of the Cold War. After all, Russia was a totalitarian state for the 1000+ years prior to 1917 (one of the lowlights of Czar Nicholas II's rule was dissolving the Duma). The Cold War grew out of the desire of the Bolsheviks to spread their "revolution" to other countries. The red tide of communism quickly took over Mongolia, destabilized China and began permeating into Europe. It culminated with Kruschev pounding his shoe and pledging to "bury America".

What is Putin doing that he would want to "spread" around the world? It would be great if he spread his economic reforms around Europe. The issue is spheres of influence. Nations such as The Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia have been in Russia's sphere for centuries. Moscow no more wants to see America meddling in Serbia as Washinton wants to see Moscow meddling in Mexico.

[Lessismore]

President Bush quickly dubbed the Russian President "Pootie Poot", and thought that he had found a man with whom he could forge a cooperative relationship.

I would think that dubbing a Russian President "Pootie Poot", would pretty much dash any hopes of a cooperative relationship.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[GarySpFc]

I have long foreseen that Putin would invoke his old USSR-KGB roots and try to return Russia to the "good old" days of the repressive Soviet-era. His attempted poisoning of Viktor Yuschenko is clear enough proof of that, but Putin has gone further. He has encouraged Russian subs to be aggressive around American warships in international waters - a clear return to the days of the Soviet era gone by.

Nonsense! You base your certanities on what is mere assumptions at best. You sound like a typical John Bircher. You have zero evidence Putin had anything to do with the poisoning of Yuschenko. My "guess" would be that the president of the Ukraine was behind the posioning.
Further, where is the evidence Russian subs are being aggressive around American warships in international waters? Simply because they are shadowing American fleets is not evidence, but simply wanting to train against the best forces.

[GarySpFc]

Ping

[massadvj]

Rusiia has a second-rate military and a third-rate economy. China is a greater threat than Russia at this point in time.

[jb6]

Actually the economy is the 6th largest in the world by purchasing power parity and growing at 7%.

[MarMema]

Putin certainly takes all the heat. It is, I think, a combination of the average age of posters here and their refusal to let go of an outdated cold war mentality, and their complete lack of knowledge of Russia, the Russian people and the Orthodox church.
Also reminiscent feelings can be enjoyable, even if they are about the cold war.

[MarMema]

Remember too that the night of the orange thingie in Ukraine, there was a post here saying that tanks were headed from Russia to Ukraine. I don't think one poster even questioned it, for at least several pages.
It was just accepted that Putin was now going to try to take over Ukraine. I can remember how hard I was laughing, but it is really sad, I guess.

It's good to have you here with us, Gary. Ignorance is a terrible thing.

[massadvj]

Actually the economy is the 6th largest in the world by purchasing power parity and growing at 7%.

Its growth rate is around 4.3 percent with an inflation rate over 15 percent. Its GDP is less than a third of that of Germany and about a tenth of that of the US. Its GDP per capita is around $5600. That's third rate by just about any standard. Here's a link:

http://www.economist.com/countries/Russia/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-Economic%20Structure

[MarMema]

Moreover, this Russian crackdown on freedom is distasteful to the West, particularly in this age of democratization.

Isn't that funny? I don't think the "freedoms" we have here are all that wonderful. In Russia it is forbidden to attack a religion in a public art display, wahabbi literature is against the law, homosexuals are still hiding out, and there is prayer in the public schools.

Literacy in Russia is much higher than here, and I know from personal experience that most ten year olds there speak perfect English and some are beginning a third language study at school.

You would think conservatives would find the freedoms in Russia to be appealing. There is no CPS to dictate to you how to raise your child, but parents are free to make their own choices about how old a child should be to stay home alone. I knew Russians who were doing extensive remodeling and rebuilding on homes and never had to pay the local county for this or that license or fee, and in the mid-to-late 90's you could put a table out in front of your home and sell whatever you wanted to on it.

The lack of government regulation in Russia is a breath of fresh air. But I guess that doesn't sell when you are in the media.

[GarySpFc]

Its growth rate is around 4.3 percent with an inflation rate over 15 percent. Its GDP is less than a third of that of Germany and about a tenth of that of the US. Its GDP per capita is around $5600. That's third rate by just about any standard. Here's a link:

Let's look at some valid figures from the CIA World Factbook:

Russia Top of Page Economy - overview: Russia ended 2003 with its fifth straight year of growth, averaging 6.5% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven demand have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last four years and real personal incomes have averaged increases over 12%. Russia has also improved its international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis, with its foreign debt declining from 90% of GDP to around 28%. Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $80 billion. These achievements, along with a renewed government effort to advance structural reforms, have raised business and investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless, serious problems persist. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Russia's manufacturing base is dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve broad-based economic growth. Other problems include a weak banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both domestic and foreign investors, corruption, local and regional government intervention in the courts, and widespread lack of trust in institutions. In addition, a string of investigations launched against a major Russian oil company, culminating with the arrest of its CEO in the fall of 2003, have raised concerns by some observers that President PUTIN is granting more influence to forces within his government that desire to reassert state control over the economy.

GDP - real growth rate: 7.3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,900 (2004 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2004 est.)

[GarySpFc]

Oh, I forgot to post the CIA World Factbook inflation rate for Russia:

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.7% (2004 est.)