On May 10, 12:51=A0pm, hol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Eugene Holman) wrote:
> In article
> <edae48a8-9853-4e22-9fb4-5c4aa3f18...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
vello=
>
> <vellok...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > Martin, Putin don't needs the post of president. Say, Stalin rules
> > without keeping ANY official position.
>
> I would disagree with you, Vello.
>
> Putin and Medvedev are both intelligent enough to realize that Russia
> cannot be taken seriously as a major country if it doesnt get its act
> together with respect to rule of law and a system of government closer
to
> a western democracy than is now the case.
>
> The country is now prosperous enough to concentrate on thee details, but
> it is still "Russian/Soviet" enough for them to be somewhat alien and
not
> yet fully trusted.
>
> Putin made a major effort to pull off a first in Russian history: a
> completely peaceful transfer of power.
What you have in mind with this? there is even less 2power change"
then back in days Putin gets seat from Yelcin: in both cases not
electorate but president himself finds successor guy, but Yelcin
really retires but Putin seemingly will run Russia again, just this
time from seat of PM.
His assumption of the prime
> minister****p can be interpreted as a cynical power play, but it can also
> be understood providing a set of training wheels for the young and
> relatively inexperienced Mr. Medvedev. Given the Amrican practice of
> having a Bush dynasty and possibly a Clinton dynasty, this is far from
the=
> most cynical game on the block.
It's up to american voters do they prefere Bushmans or not as
presidents. American practice is to ELECT presidents - now it is also
practice even for Ukraine. Russia is still virgin in this aspect of
democracy.
>
> The Russian political elite has learned that in the 21st century power
> does not come from the barrel of a gun, but from ability to exert
pressure=
> and trow big money around. Unfortunately, thei mentor i this regard is
the=
> United States. The two protracted wars that the United States has been
> waging in Afghanistan and Iraq have produced nothing tangible, and they
> have resulted in the erosion of the dollar as well as in America's
> prestige and clout in the world. One thing that Putin, Medvedev, and
just
> about everyone else has learned is that the manner in which the United
> States has been asserting its power and "leader****p" in the world is the
> best way to deconstruct any pretentions to superpower status.
That's basically true for sure.
>
> On a somewhat different theme, I read in the International Herald
Tribune
> yesterday that Americans are earning on the average $800/week, that is
to
> say $41,600/year. Due to the sharp drop in the international value of
the
> dollar, this is 26,624 euros/year or 2219 euros/month. Draw your own
> conclusions.
Not too much really (despite twice higher then in Estonia). But there
is bright side of the same coin also: almost anything seem to be much
cheaper in States if you convert their prices to euro. Well, now is
exact time to visit States!!
>
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