I like Putin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/06/13/vladimir-putin-defends-the-u-s-on-spying-programs-drones-and-occupy-wall-street/

Someone linked this in another post, but really, I enjoy the way Putin speaks much more than any other politician.

Yes, I know he's cracked down in very ugly ways on freedom of speech in Russia (not to mention corruption, mafia, blah blah), and yes, his relaxed "appearance of candor" probably springs from, among other things, a) confidence in the knowledge that he has no direct opposition to twist his words against him, and b) the sort of freedom of speech that comes from being a secondary power that doesn't have the weight of the world on its shoulders.

That said, wouldn't it be nice if someone like Obama could speak so frankly and cleverly. Where are our charming and clever politicians? American politicians usually come across as overly earnest, outraged, or if clever, just downright evil (Cheney). I like Putin's affable and genial way, and his sly smile.

Plus those pics of him being a badass with his shirt off and flying with geese don't hurt.

Why is it only dictators are allowed to have personality, be colorful...?

I guess we had Clinton, he's certainly up there with the Putins of the world...loved Bill

vladimir definitely has a spongy face (in a good way)

I loved hearing him psychoanalize the US, talking about racism and reading Colin Powell's memoirs.

Unfortunately, you'd never hear a US politician talking about Russian history or how much they like Dostoevsky or Tarkovsky.

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:45 AM, hello spiral said:

dumb gif is terrible

well, quite honestly, a genuinely wellspoken president of the US has been rare.

Many people say Clinton and Reagan were masters of their pulpits, and to an extent I'd agree, but I also match their rhetoric up against what they actually acheived.

IMHO the last great "speaker" President was Kennedy. And I'm not saying I'm an unabashed supporter of his policies either. The man destroyed Nixon in the debates (though its debatable how much realistically the TV debates affected the final vote tally), was highly knowledgeable about economic, social, and military policy, and wasn't afraid to be aggressive on the points he believed were right.

I haven't seen a President speak like that since. Reagan and Clinton have moments that might come close (and this is from a detached perspective mind you, I despise most of Reagan's policies, but the guy was a better speaker than Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Johnson without a doubt) , but Kennedy seemed to have the most complete handle of the subject on call even realizing that his NSA and CIA advisors were withholding information from him during the presidency in its most crucial Cold War moments makes it all the more impressive.

Give me a Kennedy over Putin anyday. Putin is, and has been a joke. A power broker with connections from the old guard and nothing else.

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:51 AM, underscore said:

 

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:45 AM, hello spiral said:

dumb gif is terrible

 

It's intentions were probably xeno, and homo, phobic. But the middle part amuses me.

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:48 AM, lumpenprol said:

I loved hearing him psychoanalize the US, talking about racism and reading Colin Powell's memoirs.

 

Unfortunately, you'd never hear a US politician talking about Russian history or how much they like Dostoevsky or Tarkovsky.

because they'd be called a commie. But blame that on our idiot voting populous, not on the men themselves.

if I could get a piggyback ride from any world leader it would be putin. i'd have a sit on clintons lap and get a back massage from george bush. i'd want obama to cary me over his shoulder while telling me how hard he's gonna tickle me

I like poutine too

what can I say, dude fucking brought it.

Remember, Kennedy is a young Senator debating a man who had been groomed for the Presidency for DECADES:

Other notable Presidential speakers:

-Abraham Lincoln (very squeaky voice that didn't match up with his height and presence, but had great speechwriters and had IMHO the greatest debate in American history against Stephen Douglas for the Illinois Senate seat before his presidency)

-Andrew Jackson (again, had an amazing speech writing crew/political organization to handle what he had to say, but the man had a great presence and had no problem trashing the man of the "corrupt bargain", John Quincy Adams and his father (2nd pres John Adams) in favor of the common, virtuous man). There is a reason they call it "Jacksonian Democracy"

-William Henry Harrison (yeah this guy was the 30 day president, but he was apparently a legend in public speeches in the midwest)

-Teddy Roosevelt (admittedly one of my favorite presidents, though with his flaws, his loud, big and boisterous speeches always won people over to the manly "Bull Moose")

Im sure there are a few others, I remember Chester Arthur delivering devastating speeches against his opponents in New York. One of the great ironies or little known facts about the early American presidents is that most of them were absolutely horrible public speakers, not necessarily because of their character, but because they literally did not feel the office of the Presidency befitting of speeches to the public masses (Remember, this is the beginnings of a democratic republic, there were still a lot of classist stigmas)

now that I think of it, by far the greatest speakers in US political history were senators and reps., not Presidents.

Henry Clay, Thaddeus Stevens, John Calhoun, LaFollette, Webster, Taft, William Jennings Bryan, all had absolutely stunning speeches.

The top dog alpha male is supposed to lead by example, so he's not exactly the perfect man to lead a traditional Christian country like Russia, as somebody who is divorcing his wife for a ballerina or gymnast or whatever his floozy does for a living. He's still the best leader Russia has had in the last 100 years. He wouldn't be a very suitable president of the USA. Compared with Catherine the Great and Joseph Stalin though, he's a pussycat.

I don't understand the 'gay rights' pressure on him. It doesn't make sense for the USA to expect Russia to become a liberal, USA-copycat of a country. Why should the whole world become a liberal state where everyone must believe in the exact same ideology? Russia has had enough of that kind of thinking. Shouldn't the message be "hey russian gays, come to live in the usa! let's party." instead it's "hey Putin and Russia, do what we want, when we want it, whenever we want it."

  On 6/14/2013 at 4:22 AM, chunky said:

instead it's "hey Putin and Russia, do what we want, when we want it, whenever we want it."

yes, that is a fantastic thing to look for in a world leader and their message, as evidenced by history.

I be cashin Putin paychecks like a gangsta.

got a link to that?

  On 6/14/2013 at 6:05 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

I be cashin Putin paychecks like a gangsta.

  On 6/14/2013 at 4:22 AM, chunky said:

He's still the best leader Russia has had in the last 100 years.

Actually Lenin was premier until 1924.

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:45 PM, osobjornmedved said:

 

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:56 AM, SR4 said:

well, quite honestly, a genuinely wellspoken president of the US has been rare.

 

 

Many people say Clinton and Reagan were masters of their pulpits, and to an extent I'd agree, but I also match their rhetoric up against what they actually acheived.

 

IMHO the last great "speaker" President was Kennedy. And I'm not saying I'm an unabashed supporter of his policies either. The man destroyed Nixon in the debates (though its debatable how much realistically the TV debates affected the final vote tally), was highly knowledgeable about economic, social, and military policy, and wasn't afraid to be aggressive on the points he believed were right.

 

 

I haven't seen a President speak like that since. Reagan and Clinton have moments that might come close (and this is from a detached perspective mind you, I despise most of Reagan's policies, but the guy was a better speaker than Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Johnson without a doubt) , but Kennedy seemed to have the most complete handle of the subject on call even realizing that his NSA and CIA advisors were withholding information from him during the presidency in its most crucial Cold War moments makes it all the more impressive.

 

 

 

Give me a Kennedy over Putin anyday. Putin is, and has been a joke. A power broker with connections from the old guard and nothing else.

 

I loved it when Kennedy invaded the sovereign nation of Vietnam. Classic!

 

Hey Im not saying I approve of everything the guy did, but he was a damn good speaker.

But technically Johnson invaded Vietnam, not Kennedy. Kennedy just continued to send military advisors and aid to the South.

http://youtu.be/JLw6Ed-WKVA

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:35 AM, isaki said:

vladimir definitely has a spongy face (in a good way)

Putin kinda looks like the kid in Home Alone grown up

  On 6/14/2013 at 3:56 AM, SR4 said:

A power broker with connections from the old guard and nothing else.

This

It says something when a jerk politician is refreshing because he doesn't pretend to be something else.

they needed a putin with inside connections to the security services in russia to purge the thieving US sponsered oligarchs from the place. Now they have oil and gas revenues and have gotten out of dodgy mining contracts with western corporations and on and on. A lot of the economic development of russia can be down to his policies. Sure he murdered chechens through a false flag operation, to bolster his position politically, so that puts him on par with many modern western leaders then in that sense. At least when he speaks he's articulate and knowledgable about wide ranging issues, much more with it than your david camerons or obamas.

nukes

An eloquent and smart politician in the US is called an elitist. Therefor they must dumb it down.

Putin is still a shit, though.