Ongoing power outages in Russia have Putin fuming

[Gerald]

MOSCOW – Difficulties in restoring electricity to hundreds of Russian villages after freezing rain broke power lines has caused a political scandal in Moscow.Russia's energy minister and the Moscow region governor had to change their plans for ringing in the New Year after being publicly chastised by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.Putin scolded them for failing to fulfill promises to restore electricity to villages that had been without power for nearly a week and ordered them to start the New Year in those blacked-out villages, which they did, with television cameras in tow.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01...-putin-fuming/



Note: Published January 01, 2011

[bookworm_020]

I thought Putin would be up the poles repairing the cables himself.... It has to be a good photo op?

[papa_smurf]

Originally Posted by bookworm_020

I thought Putin would be up the poles repairing the cables himself.... It has to be a good photo op?

You'd think he would, what with him been Russia's very own "Action Man"

[Catfish]

Only that he is responsible himself for exactly that power outage. Didn't he just kill, imprison or at least expropriate anyone who believed there would be new times and a free market in Russia ?
Does Chodorkovski or Politovskaja ring a bell ? Any critic is killed, even when they live in the UK or anywhere else, but internationally no one seems to really care.
This RasPutin clown is absolutely ridiculous when it comes to his proclamations or anything like citizen rights or responsability towards its own country. Yes i said "its", not "his".
Did anyone see Medjedjew and Putin in their "public talks" ? This is a parody like Sesame Street, only much less sophisticated. He is nothing but like a tsar or a physically better-trained Stalin.
Maybe Russia needs someone like him to control the russian Mafia, but then ... if i think of Putin and Berlusconi these are the Mafia.

I always wonder how such people are able to even exist, let alone get to such rank in our "modern times". I hope he will be fuming for the rest of his life after some gas-injections he is so well-known for, to kill his critics.
Gawd we have 2010 and this man comes right out of the darkest middle ages.
I really wonder what aliens from outer space would think of mankind, having those people as a "government"

[XabbaRus]

Ah lovely speech.

Sure the Khodorkovsky trial is political, he like the rest is a crook. Only thing is he was either too naieve or too self confident to realise he had to either get out the country or do an Abromovich and just get on with it. I agree the trial is a sham but on the other hand Khodorkovsky thought he was bigger than the system. I don't believe that he or Berezovsky were interested in a "free decmocracy" or "free speech" until it suited him.

Howeveer you are accusing Putin of ordering the trial, which I can agree with to the extent that he ordered he be investigated but what proof do you have that Putin had anything to do with Politovskaya's murder. Not saying she deserved to be killed but she wasn't so lilly white herself.

As for Litvinenko I can argue how that stinks from the other way too. Like Litvinenko was suddenly a democrat and defender of democracy....

Oh and catfish do you really think that the people in power in the west wouldn't like to be able to just click their fingers and have things done.

Though I like Russia don't think I am blind to its problems, but I also don't like polemical statements as your own.

[Catfish]

Hello XabbaRus,

"Ah lovely speech."
"Thanks"
Polemical, may be. But i somehow miss strong reactions from inside Russia and around the world regarding a lot of things going on in Russia. It is always accepted that P. does his best to steer Russia clear and make it a prosperous and democratic country. I just cannot quite believe that.

"... Sure the Khodorkovsky trial is political ..."
Yes but not even that, it is all about power, money, and personal insult as Putin sees it.

" ... he like the rest is a crook. ..."
Chodorkovski ? Maybe, but then all oil-company leaders worldwide are exactly that. Imprison them all then ? Maybe a good idea

" ... Only thing is he was either too naieve or too self confident to realise he had to either get out the country or do an Abromovich and just get on with it. ..."
Overly self-confident i agree, i remember this photo where he is almost posing like an african potentate on his throne, just missing the leopard-cap. But those accusations and this "process" along with the general conduct of dealing with other critics is nothing i would put any trust in.

" ...I agree the trial is a sham but on the other hand Khodorkovsky thought he was bigger than the system. I don't believe that he or Berezovsky were interested in a "free decmocracy" or "free speech" until it suited him. ..."
It is a sham, and there is not even a meager effort to make this a believable show = clear hint to other upstarts who want to put up with Putin. Not put up with democracy or the state, but with Putin. For him this is a personal thing, Ch. challenged him or so he sees it.

" ... However you are accusing Putin of ordering the trial, ..."
Yes, this is obvious. As usual it helps to think about whom serves such a conduct most.

" ... which I can agree with to the extent that he ordered he be investigated but what proof do you have that Putin had anything to do with Politovskaya's murder. ..."
Anything ? You do not honestly ask this ?
EDIT: it may well be it was directly ordered by Chechnya's then prime minister Ramzan Kadyrov who himself was strongly supported by Putin. Kadyrov's assistant told P.: "Someone ought to have shot you back in Moscow, right on the street, like they do in your Moscow". Ramzan Kadyrov repeated after him: "You're an enemy. To be shot...".

" ... Not saying she deserved to be killed ..."
Very nice of you. I would certainly make a list of people who deserved that more, if not necessarily in Russia. Maybe i just entered one else's list.

" ... but she wasn't so lilly white herself. ..."
Really. But she must have had real cojones to criticize Putin, corruption and the russian Mafia. Not so much people around who publicly do that.

" ... As for Litvinenko I can argue how that stinks from the other way too. Like Litvinenko was suddenly a democrat and defender of democracy...."
Well, the former satellite states get their share of russian "care", to put it mildly. And if a former spy dares to defect or talk ... classical HQ reaction.
What i don't understand is that Litvinenko obviously was not guarded well enough, or he was .. by the wrong people.

" ... Oh and Catfish do you really think that the people in power in the west wouldn't like to be able to just click their fingers and have things done. ..."
No, not at all. I do not say that "The West" is so much better. It really goes so far as i would say there is no real democracy in the meaning of the word that really deserves that name today. See Assange. And i also do not want to be judged by others for the actions of my own government.

" ... Though I like Russia don't think I am blind to its problems, but I also don't like polemical statements as your own. ..."
Look i also like Russia and the russian people. But the slightest sympathy for Putin or such governmental action is not what Russia as a nation needs* or deserves. Have you watched those Medjedjev-Putin public dialogue talks about drawbacks or government policies ? Who can take that for real, i ask you ?
I take it the people know damn well what is going on, but they have fear.
As you saying i have no right in judging Russia i agree, but please see that it is the government i criticize and not the people, it is just my personal opinion.


Thanks and greetings,
and a Happy New Year,
Catfish


P.S. About Politovskaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Politkovskaya

*P.P.S. It may be that Russia indeed needs a Putin to keep terrorists and the Mafia in check - but i belive more in strong ties between them, and i just think the terrorist card has been abused and used to keep critics and the whole population quiet for too long. This latter one is however not alone a russian phenomenon ..

[Betonov]

Putin would have mounted a generator on a excersise bike and provided power to half of siberia

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Putin would have mounted a generator on a excersise bike and provided power to half of siberia

Chuck Norris could power the world!

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by bookworm_020

Chuck Norris could power the world!

Who do you think powers the sun? Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks hydrogen atoms so they fuse into helium atoms

[Catfish]

Accidentally stumbled about an article in the new issue of a local newspaper:

Medjedjew said he or the russian state never had " ... evidence, that any important representative of our business world are committing crimes ..."

- as an answer to the question whether Chodorkovsky "stole" 350 million tons of oil - the reason for the accusations.

But then :
" ...
Anyone in Moscow knows that there are some oligarchs who used their acquaintance with the Kremlin to accumulate unbelievable opulences, who could well be accused and prosecuted. Oligarchs like Fridman, Potanin, Deripaska. All those opulences were won by quasi-legal methods with the approval of the state - which is why they are now completely hooked by the Kremlin. There are dossiers about everyone of them.
Only Oligarchs who disturbed the Kremlin had to pay dearly. The media tycoons Beresowski and Gusinski were chased out of Russia. When Chodorkowski refused to go, an example was made.

Russias billionaires have understood the context. Actors, human rights activists, politicians of the opposition or simply sympathizers all regularly showed up before court during the prosecution of Chodorkowski, only his own professional colleagues never came - out of fear. This is what a man like Putin expected. Putin believes to stand above legal justice. Putin allows himself to make rude condemnations, because he expects that his own followers believe him more than the most lying court of justice.
[...]
Chodorkowski's real achievement of his 7-year long imprisonment consists in to have swung around the public opinion. Be it businessmen, members of the intelligentsia or a functionary of the Kremlin: There is consensus that the Chodorkowski trial was an entirely political show ..."


Neverteless it was courageous when Mrs. Simakowa from Siberia in a TV questionnaire asked Putin "whether Chodorkovski really deserved to be imprisoned since years ?" And then immediately said "I do not expect an answer. I take it questions about your favourite dog are more important to you."

Blind they are not.

Greetings,
Catfish

[Susexx]

Anybody from my acquaintances doesn't want to live in this country. Has really bothered to feed a heap of officials.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Susexx

Anybody from my acquaintances doesn't want to live in this country. Has really bothered to feed a heap of officials.

Russia is beautiful, and most ordinary people are sympathetic and not dumb at all. Aside from that they have some excellent cuisine
I would not mind living there, however i probably would get into trouble.

The rulers and older cold-war warriors are a problem - but this is a general problem, also in the west. Obama is far ahead of most of those older cold-war haters and the lobbyists who cannot look beyond their own personal problems and nation, but he has those as advisors.

Also worldwide most people who would have the intelligence level and training to be president or representative, of a democracy or other, are mostly not interested enough to do just this. With a certain education, common sense and mindset one simply doe not have the urge of suppressing others and play the alpha animal, this is by all means regarded as ridiculous by most common people of intellect. It seems "politicians" do not realize this, but when they do their rage can become very unhealthy for their critics.
So just of all well-trained and capable people let others do the uninteresting stuff - they are not interested in having power or bullying or partake in the rat race in a political party, which is certainly why the tough and often dumb guys rule.

/theory lol

Greetings,
Catfish