Vladmir Putin: The Crooks You Know Are Better Than Those You Don’t
Vladmir Putin released a statement today on his website and in the Russian newspaper Izvestia. In it he claimed that he is the only Russian politician who can lead Russia at this time because he (and only he) could fight the dangers of stagnation and instability.
In his statement Putin said that in Russia, making dramatic changes to the government often leads to the current system being replaced by one that is even worse. It is the common rally call of the despot. The Crooks you know are better than the ones you don’t.
He didn’t address a lot of the issues that have had thousands of Russians out in the street protesting. He didn’t address the election fraud, the rampant corruption in the Russian business and political sphere or the massive flight of capital out of the country since his rule began.
In his statement Putin was quoted as writing,
“In the modern world, stability is something that can only be achieved through hard work, by being open to change and ready for long-overdue, well-planned and well-calculated reforms,”
He went a step further to say that it was mostly due to his platform of reasserting national strength that has caused the world to respect Russia again and even more important for Russians to respect themselves. He cited the military moves against Chechnya and Georgia as examples.
He also took a few shots at the United States without mentioning his old Cold War rival by name. He said Russians should be wary of countries who claim to “Export Democracy” because the programs they put into place often come with unforeseen and unintended consequences.
Do you think Vladmir Putin is good for Russia or just another thug?
