Does Putin have a soul?

[Alex157]

Dangerously close to an American politician. Using nicknames he would be "Tricky

Dick Dickovich Nixon".

I was said that his answer was ‘I am not a crook’

Understood. The

parallels with the US are limited I know. Putin has a very different set of circumstances. Since there is no

democratic tradition in Russia he must play his role as benevolent dictator.

Yes, I think that

it is his point.

Interesting that you said "back to normal", it is reminiscent of Czarist Russia no?

No, I think that the fact that autocracy lasted so long in

Russia was the main cause of all troubles.
When I said ‘back to normal’

I meant that now the police controls cities not bandits, old folks get some pensions and the like.

The

oligarchy/mafia scheme was inevitable, as they were the only ones in place to fill the power/economic void left by a

dead Soviet system. On the other hand, the Soviets had a cabal of powerful people who ran everything (aparatchiks),

and many of them are the same characters operating in a different system. At least the Communist/totalitarian

control is gone, along with the Glorious Meeting of the 24th Komsomol/Comintern/Commitetye Sovietskiye.

The problem is, I believe, that the reforms of 90s hadn’t

touched the bases of the Soviet system. Actually, Soviet economic of the Brezhnev’s era was a mix between a Marxist

control on factories and the black market. The reformers just legalized the black market but it didn’t change the

core things.

The ones caught in the middle are the ones who

had their life and spirit sucked out of them by the Soviet system, one might even say soul. All incentive was

drained from a huge segment of population which is capable of turning Russia into a greater nation than it already

is. Who knows how many generations it will take before the mentality of the "collective" leaves the minds of your

people.

Yes, Russia

lost several millions of her best citizens and I am not sure that we will be able to rise again.


And indeed it’ll take a long long time till our distorted mentality will

change.

By these

comments I know that you are Russian! Welcome moi droog

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çÃÃåøü

ðóññêèé?

we must drink together some day. Your pragmatic optimism is a

trait which many can learn from.

I am ready to drink (I prefer Scottish whisky ), and we are optimists

indeed, but our optimism is not pragmatic . It is based on two main Russian conceptual words ‘avos’ and ‘nebos’.

Say, you drive to a river and see that the bridge may collapse any moment. If you a Russian you would say ‘nebos, it

won’t collapse’ and ‘avos I will be able to cross it’. With these words you should drive over the bridge without any

thoughts

I'm

genuinely curious Alex, how long and how far do you think Putin can rule this way?

Greg, I am sure that Putin well understands that such a system which is

based on one person is unstable. Definitely there is a plan of building of a two party-system in Russia. There is

already a party which is planned for this role. However, will it be a real political system or just an imitation as

it often happens here we’ll see soon

Where do you think

the nature of politics is going? Do you think Russia needs a "Czar" like Putin or someone equally strong?

I think that

nobody who can rule his/her life doesn’t need any czars. But definitely this dream of a good and kind czar is in

Russian mentality. The problem is that czars are never good and kind

[idesign]

Ok, Putin and the Kremlin

understand the need for a two-party system, will they say 'nebos and 'avos?

One thing that concerns me is the

way Putin handled himself during the Ukranian election a few years ago. Also his most recent "sabre rattling"

exercises. He's a strong-man in Ivan IV's clothing, but I think perhaps he knows he can't get away with it.

I

hope it is as you say, and there will be a true choice. The only remaining question is does Russia have a leader

who will come from the people to lead a new party? Say, a Peter in Gorbachov clothing? Maybe Peter is not the best

choice for that example, but you understand.

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