Russia's (Former) President & Prime Minister

[tbrown 26]

Heard a great joke about Vladimir Putin standing beside his new handpicked successor and drinking a glass of water while President Medvedev delivered his inaugural address. Even better was the punchline, "This is a little trick I learned from Dick Cheney".

But levity aside, can there really be any serious doubt about who's calling the shots in Russia ? With soviet, uh Russian "peacekeeping" troops occupying breakaway regions of Georgia ? And now with tanks and missiles making their first post-Soviet appearance in the May Day parade ? (Actually, it's not May Day, or on May 1st anymore, they're not Commies anymore. Nowadays it's Victory Day, commemorating the end of WWII, or The Great Patriotic War, as it's known in Russia.)

The Dick Cheney angle is interesting, as for all intents and purposes that's how our executive branch has been running the last several years. More interesting though is that historically the Presidency in Russia or the old USSR was never more than a ceremonial head of state position.

Anybody remember Nikolai Podgorny ? No ? Maybe some of you older guys & girls ? Old Nick was the againg decrepit President of the USSR through most of the Brezhnev years, until he finally kicked the bucket sometime around the late seventies or so. When Brezhnev named himself President, it was thought highly unusual, it hadn't been done since the days of Stalin. The old USSR was ruled by the Gen'l Secy of the Communist Party, the President was just some old guy who would talk a lot about world peace and how the Soviets were all for it (of course). So they have precedent for a strong man ruling the country from behind the guy with the fancy titles.

And Mr. Putin is one very dangerous Prime Minister.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[georgerussia 0]

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But levity aside, can there really be any serious doubt about who's calling the shots in Russia ? With soviet, uh Russian "peacekeeping" troops occupying breakaway regions of Georgia ?

The situation there is not clear. I would definitely not rely on what Saakashvili says; too much politics.

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And now with tanks and missiles making their first post-Soviet appearance in the May Day parade? (Actually, it's not May Day, or on May 1st anymore, they're not Commies anymore. Nowadays it's Victory Day, commemorating the end of WWII, or The Great Patriotic War, as it's known in Russia.)

It was always on Victory Day during Soviet Union times. The military parade has never happen on May 1st (which is International Labor Day btw).

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Anybody remember Nikolai Podgorny ? No ? Maybe some of you older guys & girls ? Old Nick was the againg decrepit President of the USSR through most of the Brezhnev years, until he finally kicked the bucket sometime around the late seventies or so. When Brezhnev named himself President, it was thought highly unusual, it hadn't been done since the days of Stalin.

Do you have any sources to cite? I have never heard Stalin being named or called a President. Always the Secretary General of the Communist Party of the USSR, that's whas the official title.

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The old USSR was ruled by the Gen'l Secy of the Communist Party, the President was just some old guy who would talk a lot about world peace and how the Soviets were all for it (of course).

AFAIR the first (and the last) President of USSR was Gorbachov.

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And Mr. Putin is one very dangerous Prime Minister.

That's true.

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[Skyrad 0]

I'm sure that to Mr Putin and the Russians Mr Bush looks far more dangerous. The US has troops on the borders on three side of it now, in former USSR states. WIth the common perception of the US going to war over nateral resources and with a decades long history of hostility against Russia its hardly suprising that so many Russians feel safer with a strong man in charge at a time when they are better off than they have been for years and are rich in natural resources.
If Russia had large troop numbers close to the borders in Canada and Mexico I bet most Americans would be shitting it.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca