We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, Phsstpok. While I have high hopes for Iraq and think they've made tremendous progress, if Putin came here and made suggestions to President Bush that we model our goverment after Iraq, I'd laugh in his face.
Russia is a lot more stabilized than Iraq. Far, far more stabilized.
I don't think we disagree about the current state of affairs in Iraq. I think our disagreement is over the conditions in Russia. From what I've been able to tease out of my contacts they are hanging by a thread.
Personally I predict a coup or some other form of government disruption in Moscow within five years. I further expect China to try and take advantage of that situation and try to sieze some of Eastern Russia, which is horribly underdefended (except by nukes) and rich in resources.
I don't know whether it will be a "liberation" movement, ala Solidarity, rebelling against the neo-Stalinist "strong men" or vice-versa. However, I do think that things are not going well in Russia. Our news media is failing horribly in informing us about what's going on over there. Whatever disruption happens, if China moves the Russians won't be able to respond effectively without using nukes and that just doesn't bear thinking about. It simply wouldn't end there.
Txsleuth's mention of the restrictions on opposition candidates is just one example of where our media have totally failed to keep us up to date. Putin will end up hand selecting a successor (read that as puppet) but I just don't think they'll be able to hold things together for long.