[prairiebreeze]

It isn’t Bush’s fault that Putin refused to rise to the place in history that he could have

Initiailly, it was appropriate for Bush to publically give Putin the benefit of the doubt to see if he’d turn into being a real leader instead of another pinko commie power-dictator. After Putin started showing his true colors, that benefit of doubt existed no more and the two of them were not close or trusting.

[rhombus]

It isn’t Bush’s fault that Putin refused to rise to the place in history that he could have Initiailly, it was appropriate for Bush to publically give Putin the benefit of the doubt to see if he’d turn into being a real leader instead of another pinko commie power-dictator. After Putin started showing his true colors, that benefit of doubt existed no more and the two of them were not close or trusting.

Well written... with a clear-headed understanding of history.

[canuck_conservative]

Initiailly, it was appropriate for Bush to publically give Putin the benefit of the doubt to see if he’d turn into being a real leader instead of another pinko commie power-dictator.

Everyone knew Putin's background - head of the KGB, i.e, head of an outfit that routinely tortured people - well, it takes a certain kind of person to be able to do that for a living. And then the other stuff, associating with gangsters, etc.

Knowing all that, was there ever ANY evidence to suggest that he would be a benevolent leader?

[dr_who_2]

No, it’s Yeltsin’s fault. If he had stayed more sober, he might have been more in control of the situation over there when he was president. Delegating to scum like Putin was extremely stupid.