Article

2007-11-26 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

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Posted by Steve White 2007-11-26 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Checkmate.

Putin has now consolidated his hold on power in Russia, openly employing authoritarian means with nary a peep from the outside world.

Posted by Spuque B. Hayes8037 2007-11-26 01:54|| 2007-11-26 01:54|| Front Page Top

#2 Kasparov has little support in Russia. There is an effective opposition, but they recognize Putin' populism and direct their energy toward selling economic reforms. Populist authoritarianism is repugnant, but Russians will prefer it to the social chaos of the post Soviet Union period.

Posted by McZoid 2007-11-26 05:07|| 2007-11-26 05:07|| Front Page Top

#3 There are now over 100,000 people in Russia (that's the Soviet's disguise) who are worth more a $1 million. And it is growing. How will Putin be able to put the full-Genie back in the bottle with that kind of neuveau riche slurping up all the beluga while he keeps the dungeons occupied?

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2007-11-26 13:09|| 2007-11-26 13:09|| Front Page Top

#4 The old Russian aristocrats had the money. The new Russian aristocrats have the money.

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
"Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richerâ except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs." - Animal Farm, George Orwell.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-11-26 15:05|| 2007-11-26 15:05|| Front Page Top

23:53 Zenster
23:49 Procopius2k
23:43 Zenster
23:38 Zenster
23:25 Zenster
23:21 Zenster
23:09 Zenster
23:05 Skidmark
22:58 Skidmark
22:56 Skidmark
22:54 Skidmark
22:48 Silentbrick
22:47 Zenster
22:44 Ptah
22:17 Justrand
21:51 Leonard Plynth Garnell
21:48 mrp
21:44 OldSpook
21:42 Grunter
21:33 trailing wife
21:25 Nimble Spemble
21:24 trailing wife
21:17 Nimble Spemble
21:05 WTF