Putin has been vilified by the West, but he is still a great leader

[Joe Chi Minh]

Source: Mail on Sunday (UK )



".... Yet as soon as he entered the room, he seemed to be the opposite of his caricature.

He smiled a lot, his body language was relaxed and informal, his eyes were soft and his speech quiet.

In fact, as he answered questions for three hours, Putin generated no aura of anger or intimidation.

He has an amazing command of facts and spoke without notes or prompts.

He could even make the whole room laugh. When asked a hostile question about nepotism in Russian companies, he replied with an old Soviet joke. 'Can a general's son become a general? Of course. But can a general's son become a field marshal? Of course not – field marshals have their own sons!'

His manner was professional and non-confrontational. I admired the clarity and fluency with which he presented his ideas.

Sure, there were occasions when he spoke directly. 'We don't interfere in your politics, so please don't interfere in ours,' he told one American."



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=483321&in_page_id=1770

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Makes perfect sense to me; a patriot. For all its recent totalitarian history, to put it mildly, Russia has never lacked such people. It's just rare that they reach the top in any country.

[rusty quoin]

1. There are 3 comments in the "Dailymail"

at this time. They are mixed. One person, praises him: "Thank you for your article on the Russia I know and love. As an American living in Krasnodar, I am continually surprised and, often, frustrated by the seeming disconnect between what I see day in and day out and by what I then read in the Western mainstream press."
I am very suspicious. Actions speak louder than words.

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. Nothing like resident "on the spot" vox pops. I heard uniform praise

of China under the Communist regime by Brits working as teachers over there.

Apparently, you couldn't have found a happier people, or for that matter more law-abiding. You could leave your hotel door open and not only not be murdered and/or raped, nothing would be stolen. Although, personally, I'm just as impressed by the summary justice meted out to the most corrupt high-ranking officals. A swift pistol-shot to the head; no ghoulish histrionics or cruel and unusual despatch.

[hack89]

3. KGB and CIA, Putin and G.H.Bush

I see the similarities. Certainly my template for a leader that will defend my freedoms and civil rights.

[Joe Chi Minh]

4. You think Bush protects your civil rights? You could disappear wthout trace,

and nobody would have a clue what happened to you.

[hack89]

5. I didn't think I needed the sarcasm tag

but I was obviously wrong.

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. Wow! Sorry. I thought you were a visiting freeper troll.

I've just got used to the idea that there are people who could believe what you said. Don't blame me entirely. Though I shouldn't have needed a saracasm tag. How could anyone post to a board if they thought every sarcastic thing they wrote needed one?

[cali]

7. How is this article proof that he's a great leader?

I don't know enough to say one way or another, but this isn't evidence one way or another.

[frankieT]

8. Putin is without doubt the best thing that happened to Russia

in ages. The journalist expresses what any serious and objective observer can see, and what most of russians experience everyday. Putin did what had to be done for his country, maybe we're too cynical here to recognize a "patriot" or too afraid of a powerful Russia but i'm really tired of the permanent biased reporting about Russia. I'm afraid the West is pushing some kind of vast agenda against Russia, we are eating USSR remains since 1990, encircling them militarily, turning close neighbors into hostile countries, supporting high level thieves (Berezovski & friends), enforcing free trade when we acquire russian vital economic forces (oil, banks, commodities,etc), flooding media with KGB-bigbear covers when Russia is buying our companies. I hope the next russian president will match Putin intelligence & political courage, this is the best way to ensure a stable and democratic Russia.

[PDenton]

9. Gary Kasparov doesn't seem to like him

He thinks Putin and the KGB-inspired leadership are stifling dissent and democratic norms.

OTOH, I think Putin genuinely cares about his country. That is MUCH MORE than can be said about George Bush. George Bush is not a patriot. No patriot would welcome globalization with glee, which is what George Bush and Company do every day. Imagine if the Romans had just opened the gates to let the Gauls in whenever they felt like, or the Chinese had told the Mongols "please sir, may I have another?"

[frankieT]

10. Let's talk about batshit crazy Kasparov

He is a supporter of the "New Chronology" of Fomenko (middle ages didn't exist it's a wide conspiracy, etc). It's so pitiful to see that our democratic media cannot come up with better russian democratic figureheads than Kasparov or the crazier Limonov and his bunch of weirdo national-bolshevik skinheads.