Vladimir Putin, the unquestioned authoritarian dictator of Russia

[FelixDeCat]

lllllolll

 

[EagleKeeper]

Russians had a taste of democracy and they found it lacking.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Russians had a taste of democracy and they found it lacking.

Unfortunately you are correct. But we should not be worried about Iran getting Nukes, we need to worry about the Russian dictator's arsenal.

How long before he starts to threaten those who dont give in to his demands? He has no plans to leave office - ever. He loves power and is a control freak who consolidates it.

How long before he wants more than Russia?

 

[LegendKiller]

I hope Snowden enjoys his friendly government.

He'll be dead by 45 from currosis of the liver after realizing he fucked his whole life up for an idiotic naive idealistic vision of the world that can never exist.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I hope Snowden enjoys his friendly government.

He'll be dead by 45 from currosis of the liver after realizing he fucked his whole life up for an idiotic naive idealistic vision of the world that can never exist.

Whatever ones views of Snowden, it was just another way along with telling Obama not to bomb Syria, that Putin is now the world's most powerful man - not afraid to stick his thumb in anyone's eye at any time.

When your words are backed with nuclear weapons, it is easy to make threats. Putin is a two bit thug and dictator.

 

[LegendKiller]

Whatever ones views of Snowden, it was just another way along with telling Obama not to bomb Syria, that Putin is now the world's most powerful man - not afraid to stick his thumb in anyone's eye at any time.

When your words are backed with nuclear weapons, it is easy to make threats. Putin is a two bit thug and dictator.

I agree 100% which is why I hope Snowden dies a really shitty death after being in misery the whole time. He should suffer for his naivete and maybe then he'll realize how fucking stupid he was and how good he had it in this country. Maybe then the rest of the rubes on this board will get it.

 

[Howard]

I agree 100% which is why I hope Snowden dies a really shitty death after being in misery the whole time. He should suffer for his naivete and maybe then he'll realize how fucking stupid he was and how good he had it in this country. Maybe then the rest of the rubes on this board will get it.

What point are you trying to make, exactly?

 

[Oric]

Dictator he may be but he stood firm against the gloabal linked oligarchs in his country. Russia is now a real sovereign state.

 

[LegendKiller]

Dictator he may be but he stood firm against the gloabal linked oligarchs in his country. Russia is now a real sovereign state.

He stood firm against them? Are we talking about some Inverse Universe Russia here?

He has done nothing but create oligarchs that have fucked that entire country. Do some research into how many high-end homes in Westchester Co. NY are being bought by Russians for cash. They went to London and now are coming to the US because they know that long-term, Russia is a fucked.

As far as my point behind Snowden, I hope he enjoys the misery of Russia because he didn't understand how good he had it here. The US may have gone a bit too far but his stupidity was in realizing that compared to almost every other country on this planet we are far better at freedom, laws, and the ability to fight against government power.

 

[theeedude]

Putin is not as secure as he'd like people to believe he is.
Russian economy is not doing particularly well, despite historically high oil and gas prices. That means that in a favorable environment, Russia is barely doing so so.
If those prices or output fall, Putin will be in a serious bind. Poor economy will fuel political unrest, so he'll have to ramp up the police state and bribes to buy loyalty of powerful people and stay in power, but that would make the economy under-perform even further and fuel more political unrest.
Look at the Sochi games, original budget was $12B, already well over $50B has been spent, and about half of that stolen.

 

[Generator]

The Russian people are of evil alignment. That is just who they are to the bone. Its sad to see the corruption, but you can find it anywhere if you look hard enough. Putin may be a dictator but even he must realize he must bow to capitalism that has taken root.

 

[JMapleton]

and is reportedly worth $200 BILLION in ill gotten spoils. GAZPROM is said to be indirectly controlled by him to take over (confiscate) others possessions.

I like how when someone makes an outrageous claim, other people take it and exaggerate it even more. Where, if anywhere, does it say he has $200b stashed away? And if he does, where would he put it or invest it in without it being seen? How do you hide $200b?

"Secret banks!"

"Offshore accounts!"

Doesn't work like that.

 

[Pocatello]

I agree, a lot of Russians didn't like democracy, too much chaos. Putin is their man. This is the land of Czars, Lenin, and Stalin after all. The more they change the more they stay the same.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I like how when someone makes an outrageous claim, other people take it and exaggerate it even more. Where, if anywhere, does it say he has $200b stashed away? And if he does, where would he put it or invest it in without it being seen? How do you hide $200b?

"Secret banks!"

"Offshore accounts!"

Doesn't work like that.

Yes, the number may or may not be exaggerated. Look at Slim Helu - controls thousands of businesses and the majority of telecommunications in Mexico. Estimated net worth? $80,000,000,000.00

What is the total value of the Russian economy? Of those, what percent does Putin control directly / indirectly for his own personal use or control? Even 1% over the decade of abuse and corruption of oil/gas holdings, land, businesses from GAZPROM itself of which he has a hand are quite valuable. Even HALF that amount would make him the richest in world.

You are fool if you think I meant he had it all in CASH. Nobody and I mean nobody has it all in cash. They have it business interests.

Another example:

Americas largest OIL/GAS company is ExxonMobil, worth $417,000,000,000. Now imagine owning/controlling at least 10% of that amount and you have a business interest worth $40 BILLION all by itself! There are several other businesses in Russia both legal and illegal and you can bet your ass Putin gets a taste.

The benefits of dictatorship are great.

 

[JMapleton]

Yes, the number may or may not be exaggerated. Look at Slim Helu - controls thousands of businesses and the majority of telecommunications in Mexico. Estimated net worth? $80,000,000,000.00

What is the total value of the Russian economy? Of those, what percent does Putin control directly / indirectly for his own personal use or control? Even 1% over the decade of abuse and corruption of oil/gas holdings, land, businesses from GAZPROM itself of which he has a hand are quite valuable. Even HALF that amount would make him the richest in world.

You are fool if you think I meant he had it all in CASH. Nobody and I mean nobody has it all in cash. They have it business interests.

I know he wouldn't have it in cash. If he has wealth, he must have it invested in something.

It's a blurry line you've drawn for him. What he "controls" and "owns" may be two different things. Is it really his if it's not in his name? Is it really his if he loses power and no longer controls it? Is it really his if he cannot sell it?

Similar situation as a drug lord. May have $50m in his basement but how does it make it legit? How does he spend it? How does he invest it? House burns down and it's gone.

Money is such a fragile possession.

 

[1prophet]

I hope Snowden enjoys his friendly government.

He'll be dead by 45 from currosis of the liver after realizing he fucked his whole life up for an idiotic naive idealistic vision of the world that can never exist.

Or perhaps he has comfort knowing he did the right thing in spite of all that .

What does it profit a man to win the world but lose his soul.

 

[Pocatello]

Or perhaps he has comfort knowing he did the right thing in spite of all that .

What does it profit a man to win the world but lose his soul.

Snowden didn't have much of a choice, prison or Russia. In the end, he has chosen his own prison.

 

[LegendKiller]

Or perhaps he has comfort knowing he did the right thing in spite of all that .

What does it profit a man to win the world but lose his soul.

He *was* doing the right thing but ultimately did the wrong thing. That's why he deserves what he gets and I hope nobody kills him. I hope he gets to live in a personal hell the rest of his life.

Nobody, absolutely nobody, ultimately loves or trusts a traitor, save for the rubes like you. Luckily you're only ~10% of the population.

 

[theeedude]

Snowden didn't have much of a choice, prison or Russia. In the end, he has chosen his own prison.

Let's see, PMITA prison or being a celebrity in a land of hot women. Decisions decisions. :biggrin:

 

[Gintaras]

What a bunch of sorry people...Intelligent enough to read newspaper articles or CNN bullshit and to parrot it to the whole World of their own....

I doubt, that anyone does know some regular russian, not some prick that calls himself an opposition....

To most of you...Russians doing pretty good and they do have pretty much of democracy...

I'm on http://www.odnoklassniki.ru/ site almost on daily basis...

I'll post this Tread to http://www.odnoklassniki.ru/, let russian people do know, what others think about them...

Guess what? most likely, they would be laughing about what most parrots on this tread did say about Russia...

What a bunch of sorry parrots....I do really feel sorry about you....

You just parroting Gebels-like propaganda........

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Now in power for 13 years with no signs of EVER relinquishing it.

He has stated time and again his goal to return Russia to Soviet style government, and has all but effectively done so.

He has silenced the media via ever restrictive laws and has had journalists killed using henchmen and spies if they are in foreign countries (notably the former high ranking officer of the FSB (KGB) who quit and while in London exposed a wave of terrorist bombings to be the work of Putin. He was soon poisoned with radioactive isotopes while in exile). Journalists have been ordered killed by Putin for exposing him, notably Anna Politkovskaya:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Anna_Politkovskaya

CNN video on Putins censorship of Media : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoH4iLZEfN0

When he is depicted in Russian media, it is only favorably. He is even pulling Soviet style tricks of changing history books:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...ladimir-putin-rewriting-russias-history-books


He has arrested billionaires for supporting opposition candidates and confiscated their assets for his personal use via secretly controlled interests, and is reportedly worth $200 BILLION in ill gotten spoils. GAZPROM is said to be indirectly controlled by him to take over (confiscate) others possessions. Not too long ago an unfavorable TV program was parodying him and making fun of his leadership using puppets. The owners were warned not to show Putin, even in puppet form and not even in a comedic fashion. They defied this warning and everyone was arrested on trumped up charges. The TV station was then sold to GAZPROM, the countries main energy company!

He amends Russian laws on a whim and those changes are rubber stamped by his hand picked 'elected' leaders. Opposition parties in elections cannot be on the ballot unless approved by Putin's hand picked members in the Kremlin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoH4iLZEfN0#t=17m30s


....yet I had no idea Putin was doing any of this until I saw this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Rkom1RpKA#t=1h9m05s

I have forwarded to the most interesting part. But you can watch his humble beginnings in 1976 as a teen knocking on the door of the KGB asking to join and being sent away and told to study law and learn other languages to one day being appointed its head (FSB) in 1998 by Boris Yelstin. Two years later Putin brings trumped up charges and deposes his leader, 'wins' elections, changes laws and turns the new 'democracy' into his personal fiefdom using the FSB (KGB), ties with organized crime and the military to become the effective dictator of Russia. D:

hes not s dictator, hes very popular, which is why he keeps getting reelected

 

[Gintaras]

 

[techofalltrades]

hes not s dictator, hes very popular, which is why he keeps getting reelected

Well.. he keeps having his opposition thrown in jail... kinda hard to speak up against the man when he keeps throwing his enemies in jail


http://www.business-standard.com/ar...nst-khodorkovsky-official-113120600864_1.html

Russia examining more cases against Khodorkovsky: official

 

[LegendKiller]

lol, hotlink fail.

 

[Pocatello]

hes not s dictator, hes very popular, which is why he keeps getting reelected

The Russians got what they wanted, a strong man who stands up for Russia in the world stage. Democracy doesn't work for everybody. Hitler was very popular in Germany, he brought pride and stability back to the German people. Putin is a lot smarter than Hitler, he's not going to roll tanks into Ukraine, Latvia, or other former Soviet Union members, but in the end, his goal is to remake the Soviet Union. Probably through political instability and economic pressure.