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A year ago, Russian liberals harbored at least modest hopes that Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's handpicked presidential successor, might prove more liberal than Putin. Today, writes Contributing Editor Cathy Young, the winds of change in Russia are blowing again—harsh winds that may yet turn into a storm.
New at Reason: Cathy Young on Russian Liberalism and the Putin/Medvedev Regime
Comments to "New at Reason: Cathy Young on Russian Liberalism and the Putin/Medvedev Regime":
Lefiti | January 5, 2009, 3:27pm | #
...harsh winds that may yet turn into a storm.Right, unlike the serene calm that prevails here.
Alan Vanneman | January 5, 2009, 3:37pm | #
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Cathy Young discovers that Putin is a totalitarian schmuck! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!Yakofiti | January 5, 2009, 3:53pm | #
In Soviet Russia, libtards troll you!Lefiti | January 5, 2009, 3:54pm | #
The Revolution is coming. Any day now.Xeones | January 5, 2009, 4:08pm | #
Prince and the Revolution? When?sage | January 5, 2009, 4:17pm | #
Caption Contest!"Don't hate me because I was born with bitch tits."
Leftitty | January 5, 2009, 4:40pm | #
I respond to statements that have not been made.Nate | January 5, 2009, 4:51pm | #
Can't we just come up with some sort of legislation that will outlaw Russia forever?Jerry | January 5, 2009, 5:01pm | #
It's amazing that Russians still vote Stalin as one of their greats. Where is the outcry?MNG | January 5, 2009, 6:01pm | #
Putin is a douche that is taking a massive dump on any hopes Russians had for a free society in a long time, but I'll hand it to him, for a world leader that dude's pretty built, I wonder when was the last time we had a President like that. He looks like he would so kick most of our leader's asses in a fight.He had a point? Where? On his head? Ohhh, you're talking about his penis!
BakedPenguin | January 5, 2009, 6:50pm | #
MNG - he's a judo black belt, and he was a KGB operative so, yeah, if any world leader were to go into MMA, it'd be him.MNG | January 5, 2009, 6:54pm | #
Baked-I'd heard he had some judo skillz. He strikes me as a legit badass. I wonder if we've ever had any executive even historically who could take that guy. Maybe T.R.?Hazel Meade | January 5, 2009, 7:07pm | #
Not that I don't appreciate the whole macho thing, but do they really think people in other nations are going to look at Putin's muscular chest and be intimidated by that?I'm a lot more scared by a leader's prowess at chess than at beating other guys in hand-to-hand combat. Putin's KGB past freaks me out, not his Judo skills.
Libertymike | January 5, 2009, 7:21pm | #
MNG-How about GWB vs. Saddam in a steel cage match to the death? My money is on the Buthcer of Baghdad.
BakedPenguin | January 5, 2009, 7:25pm | #
MNG - If any of our Presidents could take him, it'd be TR. He was teh suck from a libertarian perspective, but a guy who gives a speech after being shot is a serious badass.Libertymike | January 5, 2009, 7:34pm | #
BakedPenguin-How do you think your boy TR would have fared against Peter the Great? Perhaps a Bruno Samartino vs. Andre the Giant match?
And, not surprisingly, there's an ad for mail-order brides on this page.
Bingo | January 6, 2009, 12:13am | #
Well shit, given the rubble's.. er ruble's current rate of devaluation it's about time to mail a few postcards to Moscow and move to Utah!Do brides generally come via FedEx or UPS?
putin would absolutely rape t.r. the whole point of judo is taking out the macho workout guys
joe | January 6, 2009, 9:15am | #
How about GWB vs. Saddam in a steel cage match to the death? My money is on the Buthcer of Baghdad.George W. is a highly-trained athlete. He's really in amazing shape for a man his age.
Saddam Hussein was a fat guy with a really bad back.
Pro Libertate | January 6, 2009, 9:30am | #
Libertymike,Oh, please. Whatever George W. Bush's failings--and they are legion--his spider-sense in dodging that shoe demonstrates that he would be a formidable opponent in personal combat.
Geo8rge | January 6, 2009, 9:37am | #
"to help Russia's auto companies (run mostly by Putin cronies)."What's good for AutoVAZ is good for Russia.
joe | January 6, 2009, 10:06am | #
Marcvs,Hans Morganthau argued during the early Cold War that the USSR's foreign policy was best understood as a continuation of Russia's longstanding goals and way of perceiving the world, and that the internationalist, socialist revolution stuff was just an overlay.
Mr. More of the same | January 8, 2009, 11:02pm | #
Meet the new tzar, same as the old tzar.