Teaching Comparative

Putin's Russia, Russia's Putin

David Nowak assesses Putin's career and country for The Boston Globe. This might be a good supplement to the biography in your textbook.

After a decade in power, Putin not ready to quit

Vladimir Putin celebrated a decade in power Sunday, and it appears the former KGB strongman may maintain his grip on Russia's government for years to come.

Supporters credit him with rescuing the economy from the post-Soviet doldrums and restoring national pride. Critics say the price -- rolling back democratic reforms and stifling dissent -- has been too high...

And the signs are that the 56-year-old is far from ready to loosen his grip on power...

Between his two times as prime minister -- the brief stint in 1999 and the current term he is serving since last year -- Putin sandwiched a presidency that cleared the political landscape of opponents.

Putin reversed the democratic achievements of Yeltsin by abolishing the direct election of regional governors, marginalized the liberal opposition and, critics say, instilled an atmosphere of impunity for those who silence his challengers by fair means or foul.

Under Putin, who once told journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his business, independent media are few and far between, and those outlets not under state control are intimidated into subordination. A cartoon network showing U.S. shows last month censored an episode of hit comedy South Park that poked fun at Putin...

But many credit Putin with rebuilding a country out of the smashed remains of the late 1990s, when the ruble collapsed and the economy ground to halt...

He has promoted a healthy lifestyle, not only by example -- Putin is a judo expert and frequent swimmer -- but also by a series of programs that encourage sports and warn of the dangers of smoking and drinking, ubiquitous in the worse-off regions...

But perhaps guaranteeing Putin support among Russia's patriotic electorate -- currently he enjoys a 78 percent popularity rating -- has been an aggressive foreign policy. He has resumed Soviet-era air patrols over foreign waters and shot down efforts to expand NATO, a Western military alliance he sees as a Moscow foe, toward Russia's western fringes...

---

Labels: leadership, political culture, politics, Russia

posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:16 AM