Putin has finally, completely lost it

[Onkel Neal]

http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/why...ssian-orphans/

Russia cannot take care of it's orphans, now Putin wants to ensure no one can.

Passing a new law in Russia has never presented much of a problem for Russian President Vladimir Putin. With perpetual control of both houses of parliament and a couple of loyalist “opposition” parties to boot, legislation backed by Putin generally amounts to a Kremlinfiat. The hard part this week was in explaining his newest law to the public. Intended as a political strike against Washington, the law does some shocking collateral damage. In effect, it will doom the chances of thousands of Russian orphans, many of them handicapped and emotionally scarred, from being adopted by families in the United States. How do you justify that?

On Thursday, Putin tried to explain himself in front of a hall full of Russian and foreign journalists, many of whom were clearly outraged by the adoption law passed the previous day. The first question asked Putin why he had made “the most destitute and helpless children into instruments of political battle.” The second was even more blunt, calling the law, “cannibalistic.” Live on Russian television, Putin mounted a strange defense: How could the journalists stand idly by while the U.S. “humiliates” Russia? “You think that’s normal?” Putin demanded. “What’s normal about being humiliated? You like that? What are you, a sadomasochist? The country will not be humiliated.”

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/why...ssian-orphans/

Russia cannot take care of it's orphans, now Putin wants to ensure no one can.

It is his way of saying, "you want it you got it, we do not give a (stuff)"

And a way to blow the USA off without addressing it's civil rights abuses.

Ask any former satellite nation, or any Muslim living within its boundaries.

Putin=Stalin, with his anti religions stance.

Only death will get him out of power. I would respect him more if he outright declared himself a dictator, like Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev did. But they (he) would lose the ability to protect China, Iran and N korea (in the UN) like they do, if they were seen as oppressive as they really are.

[Jimbuna]

The guy is simply an international joke...about as much credibility as a peanut butter sandwich.

[AVGWarhawk]

That is absolutely bonkers. Sometimes I wish our dear leaders would wear the shoes of the common folk for a day or so. It might make them realize it ain't so rosy for some.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

The guy is simply an international joke...about as much credibility as a peanut butter sandwich.

Nailed it!

[Takeda Shingen]

Another article about the 4-hour long press conference.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ws-conference/

Some greatest hits from Putins comments:

“The end of the world is going to come … in 5 billion years, because, if I am not mistaken, this is the cycle of the sun, around 7 billion years. 4 billion years have already passed. In 3 billion years, the sun’s reactor, so to say, is going to extinguish,”

Putin is an astronomer now.

“If I believed that the authoritarian system was the best system for us, I would have changed the constitution,”

Well that's comforting to know.

“Democracy is first and foremost compliance with the law,”

Democracy is doing what you're told. Got it.

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Democracy is doing what you're told. Got it.

There are some house of representative members in America who need to be told that. *cough Cantor and Boehner*

Not like we are any cleaner, just more direct.

Putin is a passive aggressive coward.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive...ssive_behavior

If the shoe fits...If it quacks like a duck...etc

[Jimbuna]

But in his defence, his office have just released tis to the international press

[Skybird]

It's tit for tat.

For the Russian side, it is a diplomatic retaliation for an American law that the Russians see as a sanctionising against Russian officials that are claimed by the US to have commited human rights violations. The socalled Magnitsky Act is poisening bilateral relations since longer time now. The law is internationally disputed indeed.

I don't comment. I just explain the background. A has pushed B. Now B pushes A back.

[August]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I don't comment. I just explain the background. A has pushed B. Now B pushes A back.

But B seems to be pushing back by hurting his own country and his own countries image. What's next? He going to retaliate for our lack of respect by crapping on his own flag?

[Oberon]

I don't think Putin really cares about how the rest of the world sees Russia, he's got enough guns and enough allies to not be particularly bothered about that, and his main rival is the world leader which means that they're automatically polarising the world for and against them, so Putin can just sit back and let potential allies fall into his lap if he wants to.

What Putin cares about is how his people see him, particularly the hardliners and the old favourites, military, intelligence, etc, and this tit for tat is a response to a small amount of Russian children being abused by American families. It's a simple procedure, you get the state press to make a big thing of it, and neglect to mention that more Russian children are abused by Russian adoptive parents than American ones, then when the people are sufficiently engaged by it, you introduce a law to 'fix' it, and reap the small popularity boost amongst those who brought the story hook, line and sinker. In the cities, that will be pretty much no-one, but out in the wilds where there are those who still miss Stalin, then you'll see a different figure.

Putin is a shrewd person, he has definitely not 'lost' it.

[Cybermat47]

I want Gorbachev back

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by Oberon

I don't think Putin really cares about how the rest of the world sees Russia, he's got enough guns and enough allies to not be particularly bothered about that, and his main rival is the world leader which means that they're automatically polarising the world for and against them, so Putin can just sit back and let potential allies fall into his lap if he wants to.

What Putin cares about is how his people see him, particularly the hardliners and the old favourites, military, intelligence, etc, and this tit for tat is a response to a small amount of Russian children being abused by American families. It's a simple procedure, you get the state press to make a big thing of it, and neglect to mention that more Russian children are abused by Russian adoptive parents than American ones, then when the people are sufficiently engaged by it, you introduce a law to 'fix' it, and reap the small popularity boost amongst those who brought the story hook, line and sinker. In the cities, that will be pretty much no-one, but out in the wilds where there are those who still miss Stalin, then you'll see a different figure.

Putin is a shrewd person, he has definitely not 'lost' it.

Exactly. As I keep saying in threads of this type, you guys are mistaking the point and intention of these "shows" that Putin and his regime put on. They are not meant for you, i.e. they are not at all aimed at the West or the international community. Rather, these are purely displays meant for domestic consumption, and as such, they work.

Granted, it's easy to see how any liberally-minded Russian (of which I consider myself one) could only respond with exasperation to the way the regime treats Russian people - like children, with a lot of finger-wagging and threats of spanking. It's a crying shame. But sadly that's life in Russia for you.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

I want Gorbachev back

Why do your remember him well?

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by TarJak

Why do your remember him well?

No.

But the most important thing he did was dissolve the USSR, while all Putin has done is throw people in jail for not letting him buy their companies and this.