... oughta be part of the rantburg stable of representative images.
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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Putin regrets that USSR did not fight |
| 2011-12-15 |
| RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he regrets that the leaders of the USSR did not fight to the last to prevent its collapse two decades ago. "The USSR should have started timely economic reforms and changes as well as reforms to strengthen democratic change in the country," ex-KGB agent Putin told Russian television viewers in a phone-in. "They should have consistently, fearlessly and steadfastly - without burying their heads in the sand or waving their arses in the air - fought for the territorial integrity of our country," he said. Putin's comments were his latest expression of regret that the USSR collapsed 20 years ago in December 1991, after he in 2005 memorably described its demise as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #12 **** cough **** cough **** cough .... D *** NGED AM CINNAMON ROLL! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-12-15 21:10 |
| #11 Ithink he's sincere, Pappy---he really wants to rebuild the Russian Empire. I don't doubt it. However, he has to keep his voting base happy to do so. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-12-15 18:57 |
| #10 If Putin is paying attention to tweets, he's got too much time on his hands: He saved his most vicious comments for Mr McCain, the US senator, however after clearly taking huge offence at a tweet composed by the US politician which read "Dear Vlad, The Arab Spring is coming to a neighbourhood near you." |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2011-12-15 16:45 |
| #9 Russia was once a great power, now they have an economy about equal to Italy and the value of their oil and natural gas reserves is diminishing as North America becomes an energy exporter. I think there is a bit of hurt pride in his bluster as well as trying to convince the riotious folks in Russia to concentrate on a foreign enemy. After the fall of the wall Russia could have become great, another Germany. Instead under Putin they tried to be another USSR and that's just not possible in the modern era. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-12-15 14:17 |
| #8 Putin encourages compliance from the President of the Ukraine with a dental drill. ... oughta be part of the rantburg stable of representative images. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2011-12-15 13:50 |
| #7 Ice cold eyes though. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-12-15 13:42 |
#6 Hat tip to Drudge for this picture. I think it makes him look a little puffy. Not that I'm as trim as I used to be... |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-12-15 13:41 |
| #5 I think he's sincere, Pappy---he really wants to rebuild the Russian Empire. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-12-15 13:31 |
| #4 Like the McCain bash, it's a remark designed to appeal to a sector of his voter base. Not that tactics like that have been used in the US.... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-12-15 13:04 |
| #3 At least the Botox/Plastic Surgery helps him say that with a straight face. |
| Posted by: dk70 the scantily clad 2011-12-15 12:34 |
| #2 Less a case of seeking to make a silk purse from a sow's ear, more like trying to turn cancer into candy... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2011-12-15 12:33 |
| #1 What. A. Putz. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2011-12-15 12:23 |