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Putin as Russia's Franklin Roosevelt?
baltimoresun.com ^ | March 4, 2007 | Erika Niedowski

Posted on 03/04/2007 11:28:52 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe

It's an unlikely parallel - that between President Vladimir V. Putin and America's FDR - but none other than the Russian president's chief ideologist was shopping it at a similarly unlikely conference in Moscow last month marking the 125th anniversary of Franklin Roosevelt's birth.

The topic: "Lessons of the New Deal for Modern Russia and the World." ...Vladislav Surkov, deputy head of the Kremlin administration, stood and cited FDR as an "ideological ally" and urged Putin to strengthen his hand and "use the potential of presidential power to the maximum degree for the sake of overcoming crisis."

As Roosevelt did.

"It seems to me there are amazing similarities between the ideas and emotions that drive our society today and those that propelled America in Roosevelt's time," Surkov said in his speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, which prompted a full page of coverage in the nation's most popular newspaper the next day. "It's fair to say that if in the 20th century, Roosevelt was our military ally, then in the 21st century he is our ideological ally."

There is another reason some believe the comparison has taken off. It's part of a plan to get Putin to do what Roosevelt did after his second term: Run for a third.

"We have stepped on toes and we will continue to tread on them in the future," Putin said in his annual state-of-the-nation address, as Roosevelt did in one of his famous "fireside chats," in 1934. "They are the toes of those who seek high positions or wealth, or perhaps both, by the short path, at the expense of the general good."

The Russian president ...used "the majestic American example to highlight and elevate Putin's own 'New Deal' - fighting the oligarchy, overcoming the Great Depression, establishing state order."

(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: socialism; surkov

1 posted on 03/04/2007 11:28:56 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe

FDR violated the Constitution and tried to pack the Supreme Court when they resisted him. Yep, sounds like Putin all right. Not sure if FDR poisoned anyone, though.


2 posted on 03/04/2007 11:36:30 AM PST by hellbender
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To: hellbender
"Not sure if FDR poisoned anyone, though."
Well, he has to stand apart a little bit. But indeed he digs in the right direction of behavioral communism [which has nothing to do with red banners, hammers/sickles and lenin statues].
3 posted on 03/04/2007 11:41:19 AM PST by GSlob
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To: Tailgunner Joe

I don't think Franklin Roosevelt had people shot on the street.


4 posted on 03/04/2007 11:48:18 AM PST by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

i believe that fdr was a tad bit more to the left than vladimir.


5 posted on 03/04/2007 11:49:31 AM PST by JohnLongIsland
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Well, there are similarities, starting with contempt for the constitutions they're supposed to represent.


6 posted on 03/04/2007 11:51:48 AM PST by ozzymandus
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To: Tailgunner Joe

However I do find fault with Roosevelt for making a deal with Stalin.


7 posted on 03/04/2007 11:52:59 AM PST by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
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To: hellbender

While Russia sealed off Ukraine, stole all the grain, killed 10 million, and used the money to buy equipment - Roosevelt got a gazillion dollar commission for the sale of Nazi airplanes to Russia.

Roosevelt has PLENTY of blood on his hands.

http://books.google.com/books?id=zojN8rfMzBoC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=roosevelt+elliot+commission+fokker&source=web&ots=AlKUy559vi&sig=qSCXK_vyPGgKidAsnmWO5E0syTc


8 posted on 03/04/2007 12:30:55 PM PST by spanalot
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