"It's the beginning of the end," political analyst Andrei Piontkovsky says of Putin's weak show...

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Drew Robertson Comments (233)
 
Enough with the beginning of the end already. My quick check of previous Russian leaders shows that (wait for it) they're all gone. Only Gorbachev is still alive and he's been out for >20years. Wake me when the Russians (and Chinese for that matter) choose democracy over another Czar/Emperor.
4 Dec 2011, 03:38 PM Reply Like

Tom Armistead Comments (4558)
 
I read somewhere that the Russians have become so habituated to the commissar style of government that they don't even understand there are alternatives.

In this system, there is always someone in authority, who must be bribed or cajoled into doing his job, or providing whatever the petitioner wants. Whether that person's ultimate superior is Putin or Rasputin is immaterial, there is an authority, he must be bribed or cajoled, same as it ever was.
4 Dec 2011, 04:28 PM Reply Like

davidbdc Comments (2989)
 
Well you have to consider life in Russia in the 90's. There was truly democratic elections - and the result was Yeltsin. The people watch entire industries be stolen by the oligarchs. They saw life savings wiped out when the Rubble was devalued. They saw an almost unbelievable level of poverty. They saw their country carved up almost overnight.

Most Russians were happy to have had Putin in the early 2000's. They felt they needed a strong leader. He at least restored Russian strength and power (in their eyes). And the economic policies led to growth and an increase in the standard of living. Poverty was reduced and the corruption improved slowly (but much remains)

The Russian friends I have don't want Putin again as President. They just feel that his time has passed and its time for new leadership. They'd like a more open society - one where people from outside Russia can easily visit and vice versa for them to travel abroad without visas. They also understand that corruption must continue to be eliminated if economic growth is to continue - and they view Putin as tied to many of the entrenched powers that are enriched by corruption.

Currently though there really isn't an alternative to Putin and I fully expect he will win the election.
4 Dec 2011, 05:15 PM Reply Like

cynic2011 Comments (652)
 
What you say rings true for much of the world,such as Yugoslavia after Tito, Iraq after Saddam. It seems like a lot of people can't figure out how to live together unless some strong man forces them to.
4 Dec 2011, 05:21 PM Reply Like

cynic2011 Comments (652)
 
Does it really matter what the vote tally is? Putin and his pals will just kill whoever makes problems for him.
4 Dec 2011, 04:18 PM Reply Like

cantbelieveitsnotbutter Comments (30)
 
"People are fed up" because Putin went from 60% to 50%. Editor: please read this headline again too and rewrite. Thanks.
4 Dec 2011, 08:34 PM Reply Like

WisPokerGuy Comments (397)
 
As an old friend of my parents once said, "if voting made any difference at all, the powers that be would have taken it away from us". I think that applies in this country as well as Russia.
4 Dec 2011, 09:21 PM Reply Like

dividend_growth Comments (2748)
 
When American (US, Canadian, Brazil) and Iraqi oil fields really start pumping oil, watch Putin's popularity plummeting.
4 Dec 2011, 10:20 PM Reply Like