Putin has only solidified his hold on power in the last 2 or 3 years, putting down all democratic opposition in Russia proper. His appointees hold complete control of the Russian bureaucracy, media, armed forces, courts and economy. They owe all their perks of office, and now their lives, to unquestioned loyalty of Putin.
Sounds a lot like Bush, the only difference is that Bush won't get his hands directly dirty, and will pay of corporations and judges to do his dirty work for him for a little "Bonus" here and there, he get's to dictate where his military goes, he can and has limited the information and truth through the media, and when you want to look at people appointed.... how come McCain's plans line up to identically the same crap we've been seeing for the last 8 years?
No, Russia and Putin are the only evil guys.
Oil runs the world economy. He who controls the spigots of the world, controls the world.
And why should the US and the allies/regimes they help support and put into place get the monopoly over this? Russia having that in their control might bring some decent balance back into the world, as the US doesn't seem to have a problem crossing the line and beyond so long as they have the money and supplies backing them up... the clearly have no morals or principles when it comes to world affairs, and the only way to stop them is to cut their supply so as to at least slow them down a little.
Would it spell higher fuel costs for the rest of the world? It might.... then again, if that would be the case, then perhaps the US should stop starting wars and dragging their forces all over the planet, buring up most of the resources.
Wait. Up to now he has only been responsible for selective murders, mostly of journalists and former KGB colleagues who wanted to expose him for what he is.. a cold blooded killer. He was instrumental in bombing some apartments in Moscow in 1999, as Yeltsin's designated heir, in order to blame it on Chechens and muster support for that war.. about 200 killed.. small potatoes. It's a question of scale for Putin, not a question of conscience. He will kill who ever gets in his way. His thugs beat up political opponents, he jails anyone who challenges his hold on power.
See what happens when you try and bring a totally different way of life to people who have no clue how to use it? USSR / Russia...... Iraq..... Afghanistan..... they'll all gradually go back to the ways they're acustomed to and are used to.
Not to mention, it's their country, their lives.... if that's how they want to do things, so be it..... but they're not going across the world trying to take over other nations. And since this has been their first major military offensive since the fall of the USSR, I'm not as concerned about Russia as I am for the US and Georgia.
Once again, you forget that Georgia started this situation.... Russia was just finishing it.
Bush retired when his terms of office were over, as required by the Constitution of the U.S.. Putin did not, treating his own country's constitution with utter contempt.. setting up a personal puppet in the President's office. Just like Hitler, who solidified his regime by setting up Hindenburg as figure head.. before burning the Reichstag. We are only at the start of Putin's 'great game'.
1st, Bush hasn't retired yet... his father did perhaps, but even that's questionable.... and if Bush does retire and leave office, that remains to be seen.
2nd, Putin did leave his office as president and now applied to be Prime Minister, which he won..... he followed their own rules, as there is no rule/law stating a President couldn't be a Prime Minister in Russia.
3rd, Hitler didn't burn the Reichstag, but he did use the burning of the Reichstag to solidify his position and to invoke the fear in the German population that they were under a "Real Terrorist Threat" ~ Sound familiar?
I could say the same of you, Praxis. Putin leaves no trail, he works in the shadows.. he is ruthless.
If he leaves no trail, and you have no evidence, then all you're spouting are unfound and unprovable claims, except what you read and hear in Western Media and political officials.