Дмитрий Анатольевич Медедев (Dmitri Medvedev) is Russia's president elect, while Vladimir Putin is the once and future Tsar. Putin will be Medvedev's prime minister, and the government is being restructured somewhat to move the seat of power from the presidency to the prime ministership.

The election was fraught with fraud, people turned away from voting booths in broad daylight. Many were told there was an unspecified threat of terrorism keeping the polling booths closed. The people don't care, of course, because the price of gas is high, and Russia is doing very well selling the stuff to Europe.

The similarities to American electoral process are remarkable. But that's not what I'd like to talk about. What do you think of this news? Will Medvedev (a continuation of Putin's course) be good for Russia? For the world?

There is nothing new in the way Russian Governments (all of them since Lenin) function. Even though Breshnev in good old times officially kept post of Secretary of Communist party only, he had all the powers and control Government, Polit Bureau, Presidium of Supreme Chamber and every telephone post in Russia.

Medvedev is just another veneer face moved in front for time being till “something happen to him” and Putin get back in the front.

Russian “new” style Politics




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I knew Putin would find a way to stay in.

Originally Posted by ewomack

I knew Putin would find a way to stay in.

How? Who told you that?



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Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

Дмитрий Анатольевич Медедев (Dmitri Medvedev)

That actually reads Dimitriy Anatolyevich Mededev, for those of us who can't read Cyrillic.

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

What do you think of this news? Will Medvedev (a continuation of Putin's course) be good for Russia? For the world?

There are still people in Russia who glorify Stalin, John, even to this day. Just because "Communism" there supposedly fell means little, it left a vacuum that needed to be filled. Now you tell me what scarcity and a power vacuum usually leads to. I'd say it's no worse than what the Russian people have been living with for decades but it's hardly a step up. And it's no better or worse for the world than it already has been. It is, simply put, business as usual, as has been stated before.

tim

Minus the arms race of course.

[quote=Vladimir Putin]Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain[/back]

Yeh, right.

Well, now the race is to keep those arms in Russia. Good luck with that.

tim

I think Russia has a fairly good hold on their nuclear arsenal. If one "slips" it'll be because they let it go, in my opinion. If anything Pakistan looks a whole lot more shaky, but then again, they don't have near as many nukes.

Pakistan is a lot more frightening in terms of their stockpile. They have less of them ... but it only takes one. Not that I'm especially worried that anyone is going to sneak a 25 foot warhead even through the famously unsecured Port of Seattle.

Back to the question about Putin and Medvedevevev: Russia has been more and more antagonistic, not just toward the USA, but most of its neighbors, too. They've been cozying up to Iran. All under Putin. I don't know how things are inside Russia, but people on the outside are a little nervous.

Originally Posted by cbwm

I think Russia has a fairly good hold on their nuclear arsenal. If one "slips" it'll be because they let it go, in my opinion. If anything Pakistan looks a whole lot more shaky, but then again, they don't have near as many nukes.

I don't believe I'm doing that but... I agree with you


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