Russia extends presidential term limit; paves way for Putin re-election

I've seen several documentaries on educational TV. Stalin was a paranoid dictator who had his opponents killed. He was obsessed with building structures in his name to glorify him. Poor Russians were used like slaves to complete his projects. Many of his plans were physically impossible to complete yet he continued to demand that they be completed. Contractors who failed to meet his unreasonable dead lines were sent to prison. He was like Hitler in that he was an cruel egomaniac who lived in his own world and destroyed the lives of people around him. I'm not saying Bush and Putin are just like Hitler and Stalin. I'm saying, if history serves as a lesson, we should forever be Leary of leaders who make power grabs.

All you giddy people saying "Stalin 2.0", are you serious? What do you even know of Stalin!? You are making Stalin look good if Putin is Stalin 2.0. Damn, it's even worse than calling Bush - Hitler! And I don't like Bush!

Stalin 2.0 )))

I wonder how many of the individuals who commented have been to Russia or are students of Slavic studies? I spot only a few.

My take: Stop screaming Stalin ---- He was nothing like Putin. Grab a history book, I mean, go Wiki it. There are profound differences... too many to list.

I get it: Americans are apprehensive of dictators.
But consider the "votes" we've (I'm using the term loosely) been casting for Bush I or II or Bill or Hillary Clinton... shoot, I'd throw the Kennedy's into this mix too. Call it Dynasty, call it Legacy, but goodness me, don't call it a dictatorship!

I really don't consider Putin a dicator... yet. Though I do think he is a great contemporary example of Machiavellian leadership at its purest. "The end justifies the means" is a phrase that truly applies to Putin's style of command and the decisions he has made that, though many of us might consider violate certain human liberties, have brought Russia back on track after a long period of non-progress.

I would really love to know what Russian people currently living in Russia think of him and the measures he has taken during his years in power.

There was a reason George Washington stepped aside.

This is something to be concerned about. Considering Russia's history with dictators like Stalin the Russian people are playing with fire by allowing another threat to a free society to take place. Unbelievably some Russians, because of their feelings of insecurity, long for the certainty of a police state. Is their memory that short? Allowing Putin to increase his power by extending his stay is like the Germans allowing their leaders to remain in office as long as they like. A very dangerous precedent. By sending war ships to Cuba Putin is sending a message that he is willing to flirt with another cold war and this too is something we should be concerned about.

I reckon the next amendment to the Russian Constitution will make Putin Czar for a period of 10 years a la Julius Caesar. If he has worked this hard to 'get back' in the position of the president, I do not see why he will give it up so quickly yet again.

So this nonsense fuels the economy right?

America is just pissed because we're frustrated too.

What does the word war even mean?

Are we supposed to go back to fearing Russia now because they have a long-term leader that is actually apparently improving things? Hey, can you blame them for wanting to see the country improve, I just HOPE he is improving it in a neighborly fashion, because I haven't been paying attention to such things.

Speaking of American politics, I'm not really so sure it's just one president or a string of them that have been designing secretly questionable/fragile economic structures that don't take into account the bottom of the pyramid and occasionally build economic structures on a blind-eye and greed alone.

Is this a world-wide phenomena?

Was it by design?

What is the deal with the shitty decision making for real?

How would you try to turn the world into "God's Garden"? You know, that's a good point, we should ask for mission statements from each country.

It would be so amazing to get President Bush high and ask him what he thought of Putin, and vice-versa. Then do the same thing with all the other world leaders.

No prepared statements, just childlike fights and name calling. Wait a minute...that sounds familiar.

Brilliant idea.

Then turn it into a cartoon puppet show.

Create some international Top Gear type show but with international politicians and roller coasters or mind altering substances instead.

That would be the greatest transcript ever.

Man, if I ruled the world I'd invite all the national leaders to meet at Disneyland under certain requirements.

It would be a blast though. Sue me. People are how they perceive things. If you show them this side of something it sucks, but we all have our strong suits and our less-strong suits, so we should make the best impressions of foreign countries possible.

What kind of country has a bad attitude towards Disneyland?

If you are against Bolt then you are crazy. How could anybody be against Bolt? Have you seen Bolt? Awesome movie.

Anyway, congratulations on your popularity Putin. Please open a new chapter of cooperation without the need for anything more than mutual co-existence.

God, sounds like trying to remain friends ahead of time.

We're going to create some sort of random lottery system to start spot-checking government policies and conditions around the world now, and on a 10 year horizon, so let's really try not to fill that 10 years with any kind of aggression, we've got surviving to do, and I'd rather not rebuild America they way they did in WWII, because we are in a new era of humanity since then.

On behalf of America I would like to apologize to the world and say "our bad" because we apparently have little discretion for a non-destructive conquest policy, despite the fact that I had nothing to do with the decisions for which "Americans" are blindly held accountable.

Damn sheep and stereotypes.

We need some sort of international political disclaimer eh?

Let's make sure we point the rockets up not at each other this time?

Thank you! Carry on.

(well, it makes for an amusing story if nothing else ;)

Putin is the best Russian leader in a LONG time. He is not perfect but he has helped Russia like no one has since the break-up of the USSR.

He could have just amended the constitution once he became president the first time to rule forever if that's what he wanted.

Another thing to keep in mind is this quote from Josef Stalin.
It's not the people who vote that count.
It's the people who count the vote.

Something to that effect.

Of course! Putin isn't going away. He'll probably be there for longer than 6 years after he's back in.

So, at least we can predict what kinds of stuff he does. He's gonna do what he's gonna do, lets be happy it's not via revolution and blood this time.

Unanimously is usually a double-edged sword.

I hope for the best.

Only time will tell.

Why don't they just stop beating around the bush and make Putin their leader for life? We're just going to be watching Russia flush its Constitution down the drain again whenever he maximizes these new term limits.

yikes.

Anybody not see this coming??

WOW!

Does anybody smell a Russian Dictator on the Rise. This is also how Sadam did it only Putin is doing it a little more legaly.