Can you say "Sudetenland"?

THANK YOU, Dan. I have been wondering why no one appeared to notice Putin's utterly horrifying remarks.

I've said it before, Putin is the most dangerous man in the world. Everything the crazies want to pretend GW Bush has done, Putin has done for real.
I am concerned at the velvet glove treatment this administration has given Putin. The only possible rationale for this is the Michael Corleone maxim, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'.

Everything the crazies want to pretend GW Bush has done, Putin has done for real.

Putin invaded Iraq? He claimed Iraq had vast stockpiles of WMDs ? He claimed that Iraq had a link to 911 ?

On the other hand, the most charitable interpretation of his current speech is that it was poorly translated. Barring that, it is appalling. I can see where it tap into Russian patriotism and jingoism though, just as Stalin tapped it during WW-II.

Relax, folks. Read this interview. He's sane. Just being a politician.

Marsh:

I think Mark had in mind, the use of a terrorist incident to revoke civil liberties, unhealthy relationships with oil oligarchs, lying about wars (substitute Chechnya for Iraq), and cowing the news media.

locking up opponents, eliminating free press, personally nominating state governors, etc, etc, etc.

Putin is the bush the left has nightmares about. course the left then attacks people who question russia's activities and whether we might need to turn on the freezer again (I'm aware that they are anti-russian when it seems putin is friendly with bush, but look at how they treat people who question russia's intent).

lying about wars (substitute Chechnya for Iraq),

Putin had little to with the first war as far as I know, and Chechnya was unquestionably the source of much of the terror in Russia. So I see no lying or even exaggeration there.

course the left then attacks people who question russia's activities and whether we might need to turn on the freezer again (I'm aware that they are anti-russian when it seems putin is friendly with bush, but look at how they treat people who question russia's intent).

So its all the left's fault ? Thanks for that useful information.

I shouldnt have hung out that flame bait, its taking from a good topic.

My point is Putin is a real life fascist. He controls the news media for real. He silences dissenters (permanently sometimes) for real. He very possibibly ordered the attempted murder of Ukraines Yushchenko. He sells nuclear technology to terrorist states just to create problems for the West. We need to start taking this guy seriously. If a new Iron Curtain goes up, particularly one allied with China, our ability to deal with terrorist states is radically reduced.

Sorry, Praktike, got to take partial issue. If a German premier in 1955 (or, hell, 2005) had said that the collapse of Nazi Germany was "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century," would that have been okay?

But I don't think the issue is whether Putin's sane; he is indeed being a politician. What *kind* of politician is the real issue.

Wow ... Mark Buehner and I are in complete agreement about something. Can we bring John Kerry into this conversation? Quickly?

Lol, please dont.

I think we have a Russia and at least some Russian people that miss the Soviet Union simply because it enables them to fantasize about a time when Russia was one of the world's 2 great powers. Russian nationalism, always very strong, is being conflated with the Soviet Union.

It could probably also be argued that it in its latter days Soviet Communism was probably not much different for Russians than the current government. Soviet Communism was much worse for non-Russians and East Europeans, of course. But for most apolitical Russians, there probably isn't that much difference between Gorbachev circa 1984 and Putin circa 2005. The crony capitalism of Russia today is only marginally better for the common folk than communism. There was a war in Afghanistan then, now there is a war of sorts against Chechens. There are far more material goods today, but most people don't have that kind of money. The press is freer than before, but again its not really as free as a Western Press and it probably matters less for apolitical people.

Since you ask, Anderson...

I regret what's happened in these past months. And I think it goes beyond just the response to terror. Mr. Putin now controls all the television stations. His political opposition is being put in jail...

And I think it's very important to the United States, obviously, to have a working relationship that is good. This is a very important country to us. We want a partnership.

But we always have to stand up for democracy. As George Will said the other day, "Freedom on the march; not in Russia right now."

John Kerry -- from the 9/30/2004 debate

I have brought in John Kerry and George Will!!

Watch it, AM, you're about to have Mr. Buehner and John Kerry in agreement, at which point this universe will instantly vanish & be replaced by an even weirder one ...

As for the remarks purportedly lamenting the passing of the USSR, I think we need to read exactly what Putin said in context. From another story I saw, it sounded more like Putin called it a "tragedy" from the point of view of ethnic Russians now "stranded" outside Russia and for individuals whose lives were disrupted. On the other hand, it doesn't sound like he said Russians are better off now than they were with the USSR. But let's look at the text before jumping to conclusions from initial press reports.

I've said it before, Putin is the most dangerous man in the world. Everything the crazies want to pretend GW Bush has done, Putin has done for real.

Pretend? Naw.

Try "two peas in a pod".