Any thoughts?

On the Russian elections?

I think that they could have been better, the United Russia party (Putins party) did have the lions share of everything on its side but on the other hand it seems that that is what the people want. Now Russia needs stability, not chaos which I think the other parties would have ushered in.

The URP intends to keep on the course that has served it and Russia very well which of course the west does not like at all so we can expect a whole hell of a lot of rhetoric in the near future. I do sincerely believe that the west wets its pants when it collectively contemplates a strong and capable Russia. It think that the Russians as a whole have made a correct decision. Could use some tweaking though.

 

Sloniksp, Your man in Russia.

Russian man in America on Russian affairs, over to you Sloniksp.

I need to read the news first before I post my opinion.

 

I think a stable Russia is safer than an unstable Russia. I think running Russia would be very difficult and you need a powerful person in charge to get things done. I know I would not have any idea how to run such a huge operation and so many different cultures.

It seems like the west takes a blind eye to China being communest and buys billions of dollars in goods from them so why can't they do the same with Russia ?

 

Its still to early to really say anything about the current situation.

Putin's party is obviously favored for obvious reasons.

The biggest concern for Russia's population is stability. The notion of someone else other then Putin or his party running the country rests uneasy with the people which have exprerienced life under Yeltsin.

As to what the future holds, we will have to sit and wait.

 

I can understand Russia is still in a democratic transition, with parts of the former empire being very unsecure, but I find it hard to believe that, 20 years after the perestroika, Putin can allow himself to destroy any form of free medias without any political cost.

Same bullshit all over again : kiss your privacy, your freedom of speech, your freedom of opinion bye bye, or the evil terrorists will come at night and cut your throat...and if they don't, well..we'll sure find some "excessive supporters" to do the job.

...

I just wonder if Russian people being treated like cattle in the stable, is the price to pay for a stable Russia

Maybe it's the case, I don't know, I just hope people in Russia are asking themselves this question.

 

I just got back from Belarus, never made it to Russia but I have been there many times in the past. I've never seen any Russians in chains, I've never seen Russians being herded like cattle other than places like the Moscow Metro, it's really little different than the cattle I see commuting home in any other large city. Russians are rapidly becoming slaves to rampant consumerism and debt, that's for damn sure. Sound familiar?

I think the Russian people voted for the UR party because they had a taste of our version of "democracy" in the '90s and that left them wondering where their next meal was coming from. Teachers taught shivering children in freezing schools for nothing and pensioners died with nothing, in abject poverty, their own children unable to help them.

All of this is no more for the most part. Yes there is still poverty there in many places but it is a far sight better than it was. If Putin is buying the votes of the people he is doing a damn good job of it, I think he is giving them reason to support him, that is a good thing.

 

If this was rigged as some Westerners claim, then Putin did a bad job as he received less then 65% of the vote?

Could it be that the Russian people truly like Putin and his policies more then we over here in the West would like to think? and voted for his party NOT because they were mindless cattle being scared into making decisions but actually love what has happend to their country and their lives under his rule in the last 8 years?


Now Chechnya is another story. I have just heard that 92% voted for Putin! Kadyrov looks like he's cleaning up the area pretty well

 

I was talking about cattle as a joke, because the 'Stable' country was mentioned above - stable is the home of cattle

Anyways, I don't say Putin has to be blamed or not (not talking about Chechnya here lol), I'm just saying you have not the right to blame it in public, if you are whithin reach of his nervis...

Maybe freedom of speech, democratic counter powers / checks and balance, fair elections, and free medias are nowadays a luxury Russians can't afford, but it's up to them to say so, and with the kind of votes and medias they've got, it's hard to hear what they are really saying

So, when you say maybe Putin is popular, I answer : Putin does everything to make it impossible to prove he's not popular.

Reading Chuikov64th, it sounds like Russian have to choose between starving or have a democracy...maybe that's exactly what Putin wants them to believe

 

Chuikov, vlad pootin is just a much bigger version of hugo chaves or "Fido" castro. pootin saw his chance to grab more power, and he did.

 

Anymore talk like this and you will be PUTIN jail!

 

lol ! good one, Slo !

@ Carl : the difference is that Chavez didn't cheat with last vote and got beaten !
I'm sure that today he thinks "Screw democracy ! " lol Putin is unlikely to do such a mistake

Anyways, this is an interesting subject.

On the one hand, Putin has had an important role so far, he prevented Russia from falling apart, or into chaos, or into a "free for all death to the weak" oligarchic plutocracy, and it's hard to see another person or political party who could have done better.

On the other hand, he did this at the cost of democracy, sunday's vote was far from being fair, and for example the fact Russian TV's and radio's freedom nowadays is more or less a joke, that most kind of political opposition is very often labeled as terrorist or agitators and put to silence.

I really don't like the kind of speech in which people say "Oh well it's Russia" like if Russian deserved no better than a biaised democracy, or this kind of loaded democracy is the best thing you can expect for such a people/country, if you know what I mean.

So, maybe – probably ? – Putin is the best bet for 2007 Russia, but let's not turn our eyes away from these loaded elections, pretending everything is fair and fine, because what we must all wish and aim at, is that Russian people get AT LAST the real democracy they deserve, the sooner the better.

 

Just read that Putin actually received 5 million less votes then he did in his previous election.

Surely if he cheated ( as it is claimed ) then he would have gotten more?

 

Yes, perhaps he's slipping

 

Slo, are you changing your mind or what is happening. I recall we talked about this a while ago and everybody said Putin will call it a day. Now where are we going to....?

If Putin keeps the power I can only say I told you so....there´s so much he could do without keeping the power himself but can he?

Me? Should I be sorry? Bush did not bring peace with power politics but should I realize Putin does and will? Go ahead. Looking forward to it. You´d not be the first country to make interesting decisions....and it´s been awhile since Stalin died...

France

1792 December 11 - France's King Louis XVI went before the Convention to face charges of treason. Louis was convicted and executed the following month.

Napoleon crowned himself Emperor on 2 December 1804

Remember:

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely

 

Hehe... not at all, I still stand by my claim. I cant imagine that Putin will stay on as president or will demote himself to prime minister after his term is concluded, however I do believe that he will run again in 2012 as the Russian constitution allows it.

Difference between Bush and Putin is that Putin is slightly more intelligent and instead of starting 2 wars, he finished 1.

If I may ask, which Russian leader did you like?

 

Hi Slava, HOPEFULLY and in a Texas jail. This guy would be bait in the Penal system here :lol:

 

Hi Choc, I definately agree and hear ya on all this. I sure miss Eduard Schedvernaze (SP?) and the Gent he worked for. Those two would keep Russia on the straight and narrow.

 

The first season with Putin but after that I guess we go back to Tzars...

 

Having been to Russia many times in the past and seeing what it was like in 1995 compared to now I have to say one thing. The Russian people are much better off with Putin than they ever would have been under (under the heel of) the oligarchs that ruled Russia in the 90s.

This election may have had its flaws either imagined, manufactured or ligimate but one thing stands out from what I have seen. The Russian people are reasonably happy with the situation and want to continue down the path they are on.

I think that the world needs to accept that. Russians want what they want, a strong leader and government that will keep things stable. I think they got it. As for Putin being a power mad megalomaniac well I think that America, the biggest critic of Russian democracy, has one on the hill now.