Putin warns US to eschew socialism

The American Thinker ^ | February 18, 2009 | Clarice Feldman

[Scanian]

What is the world coming to? Pat Dollard reports the Russian leader warned the US against adopting socialism because it doesn't work: Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin has said the US should take a lesson from the pages of Russian history and not exercise “excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence”.

“In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute,” Putin said during a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.”[Snip.]

Sounding more like Barry Goldwater than the former head of the KGB, Putin said, “Nor should we turn a blind eye to the fact that the spirit of free enterprise, including the principle of personal responsibility of businesspeople, investors, and shareholders for their decisions, is being eroded in the last few months. There is no reason to believe that we can achieve better results by shifting responsibility onto the state.”

Putin also echoed the words of conservative maverick Ron Paul when he said, “we must assess the real situation and write off all hopeless debts and ‘bad’ assets. True, this will be an extremely painful and unpleasant process. Far from everyone can accept such measures, fearing for their capitalization, bonuses, or reputation. However, we would ‘conserve’ and prolong the crisis, unless we clean up our balance sheets.”

[Nathan Zachary]

"“we must assess the real situation and write off all hopeless debts and ‘bad’ assets. True, this will be an extremely painful and unpleasant process. Far from everyone can accept such measures, fearing for their capitalization, bonuses, or reputation. However, we would ‘conserve’ and prolong the crisis, unless we clean up our balance sheets.”

Too bad the Democrats and some (majority?)of the Republicans sitting on their brains in both houses can't figure that out. If we have to have a foriegner Usurper in the Whitehouse, can we trade Obama for Putin? I'm sure he'd be just as happy building a U.S. unstoppable military force to take over the world with...

[brooklyn dave]

I always thought we should have developed a better thought out plan for dealing with the Soviet Union. First of all, it was money that fostered out relationship with the China. All America saw was a big fat market of a billion people. We sell them the good stuff and they get better technology (by any means necessary) and we get toys! I am critical of our China policy since Reagan’s time—under both the Republicans and the Democrats. We should have gone slower.
When the Soviet Union failed and broke up, I really think a lot of people reveled in the fact that Russia was a basket case that was being governed by a drunk (Yeltsin) and robbed blind by the oligarchy.
We can’t undo the mistakes of the last 25 or so years, but we can begin by having somewhat of a different relationship with the Russians. NATO is a joke. Back off having Ukraine and Georgia as part of NATO (they should be able to be part of the EU—but that’s up to the Euros not the USA) In reality it consists of US, the Brits, the Poles (as a reliable support) and the Turks (who have a decent army, but are not always on the same page as us)—I mean the rest of Western Europe is a joke.
As far as Russia and China getting cozy, China sees itself as eventually taking over Russia (at least the Asian part of it) eventually. The Russians are really in not so good shape. They have never been a demure people (therefore, the heavy handedness of most of their actions) and many of those recent actions have been an inconvenience for the US.
I believe that there is a possibility to be worked out with Russia where it could be a win-win situation for both us and them. If a number of joint actions were taken by Russia and the together, we could have the mullahs hanging themselves from the nearest minaret by their own turbans (or at least their wive’s burkhas). This doesn’t have to be a ground invasion of Iran (another economic basket case that could be easily imploded).

[Brookhaven]

I work with a large number of Russian immigrants who are Ron Paul supporters.

[brooklyn dave]

Great comments

[America2012]

I am hoping Vlad or his pals in the KGB (I forget their new name) can get us his real Kenyan BC. I think the Russians may end up being are allies against O and his Islamist pals.

John Titor PING!

http://www.johntitor.com/Pages/CivilWar.html

"There is a civil war in the United States that starts in 2005(2009). That conflict flares up and down for 10 years. In 2015(2019), Russia launches a nuclear strike against the major cities in the United States (which is the "other side" of the civil war from my perspective), China and Europe. The United States counter attacks. The US cities are destroyed along with the AFE (American Federal Empire)...thus we (in the country) won. The European Union and China were also destroyed. Russia is now our largest trading partner and the Capitol of the US was moved to Omaha Nebraska." - John Titor, 2000

[Brookhaven]

“It’s a terrible shame when Russia’s President is smarter than our own.”

I don’t think Putin has any love for the USA. He wants to restore Russia as a superpower and sees the USA as a main rival. HOWEVER, he also knows the world’s economy is driven by America’s free market economy. If America’s free market system goes south, so does the rest of the world’s economy.

The world hates America for only being 5% of the population, but having 25% of the economy. Putin is smart enough to know it is becuase our free market system is the best economic system. He is trying to do the same thing in Russia. He knows if we destroy our system it will undermine Russia’s economic efforts.

[Isabel C.]

Obama could care less.

It would probably be more accurate to say that Obama couldn't care less, meaning that his level of caring on the subject is already at zero and it couldn't possibly go any lower.

[chainsaw]

Maybe we should all leave for Russia and let the Mexicans have at it. Then the Mexican problem becomes the Canadian’s problem.

Russia is a very large country. Up in the north country they have lots of snow for winter sports.

[Frantzie]

Any gun owner knows the least expensive ammo is imported from Russia. Ammo like Wolf etc. It is not the best stuff for your gun but good for your backup supply.

Will Titor come true? Well a Kenyan and an agent for Islam/Saudis has the nuke launch codes and the football.

[IrishCatholic]

“In an insane world the sane man must appear insane.”

Wow, fact is stranger than fiction. Putin is more American than our president.

[Veto!]

Blind faith in that rap singer Barak is more like it. Sheesh, he’d get voted off American Idol in the first week.

[DoughtyOne]

My thoughts run along the same lines as yours, with a few differences not worth mentioning.

I don’t think a ground invasion is necessary either. I do think we are going to have to use some muscle though.

Europe should be screaming bloody murder about this, because Iran’s missile can reach their territory. I guess that’s okay with them though, since they remain silent about it.

[Brookhaven]

“I am hoping Vlad or his pals in the KGB (I forget their new name) can get us his real Kenyan BC. I think the Russians may end up being are allies against O and his Islamist pals.”

Whoever does the Biblical end times ping should probably jump in on this one.

The common end-times scenario (as described in the Left Behind books) that has Russia leading a coalition of Islamic countries against Israel, a revived Roman empire comming out of the EU, and a European anti-christ is pretty much falling apart before our eyes.

It looks more like a revised OTTOMAN empire (which would be a fundamentalist muslim empire), Europe subverted by a muslim fundamentalist population that pushes sharia law, the US and China so dependent on middle-east oil that we go to war with the revived Ottoman empire to aquire it when they cut it off. And in steps the anti-christ to make peace.

Ironicly, in that scenario, Russia looks like the last man/indendent-nation standing. Far from being an ally of Islam, they may be the last counterbalance to an anti-christ led Islamic world power based around a revived Ottoman empire (the empire we in the west forget about, even though it lasted from the mid-1400’s until WWI and covered the middle east, n. africa, and the “stan” countries that were part of the old soviet union.)

How we forget to talk about a major empire (that ruled Jerusalem for 600 years) when talking Biblical prophecy seems amazing. But we do.

[Fred Hayek]

Putin’s finance minister believes that Ayn Rand should be required reading in Russian universities.

[GOPJ]

I’m starting to see why the Russian people like him so much...

[Wyatt's Torch]

Putin's finance minister is correct...amazing...the Dem's would ban Atlas Shrugged if they could...

[Darth Dan]

That “clunk” you just heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

[reagan_fanatic]

[marshmallow]

Reminds me of a wise old father pulling his son to one side and saying "son......now don't you go and make the same mistakes I made....."

But will the son listen?

[Texan Tory]

I would have expected to see this story on the same page as the announcement from hell that the NHL is opening a new franchise there due to a favorable change in weather conditions.