Good Bye, Vlad
Please … Allow me my farewells …
Oh, Vlad … I know our time was brief and troubled … But the laughs … the dancing and the vodka … {SIGH!}
Fishing trips to secluded gulags—, er … locations …
Swimming in the Black Sea …
Wait … that’s NOT you … How’d that get in there?
Anyhow, Dimi just won’t hold a candle to you … He looks like that mean guy Simon from American Idol.
So, Хороший пока мой глупый любитель … You know what I’m talkin’ about. And remember …
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
Ill be watching you
Russia’s Medvedev Takes Power
Russia’s new president Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday held out the prospect of a thaw after the democratic restrictions of the Putin era, pledging to develop civil and economic freedoms during a stately Kremlin inauguration ceremony.
But Mr Medvedev takes power amid continuing questions over whether he or Vladimir Putin, the former president who will now become prime minister, will really run the country, and how Russia’s new dual power structure will work.
The 42-year-old Mr Medvedev placed his right hand on the constitution and recited the 33-word presidential oath before 2,400 guests in the gilded St Andrew’s Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace. He is the youngest Russian head of state since the last tsar, Nicholas II.
“I consider my most important task to be the further development of civil and economic freedoms, the creation of new opportunities, as broad as possible for the self-realisation of citizens – citizens who are free and responsible both for their personal success, and for the flourishing of the whole country,” he said in his first speech as president.
“In the last eight years we have laid a powerful foundation for long-term development, for decades of free and stable development,” Mr Medvedev continued. “And we must use this unique chance to the full, so that Russia becomes one of the best countries in the world – for the comfortable, confident and secure life of our people.”
Mr Medvedev repeated commitments made during his campaign to modernise Russia’s economy, renew its crumbling infrastructure and establish the rule of law.
“I will pay special attention to the fundamental role of the law, on which our state, and civil society, is based. We are obliged to achieve true respect for the law, to overcome the legal nihilism which seriously hinders our contemporary development,” he said.
While his predecessor, Mr Putin, is credited with steering Russia’s oil-fuelled economic recovery after the chaotic transition to a market economy in the 1990s, the outgoing president established a closely managed democracy and clamped down on political opposition and press freedoms.
Critics also say Mr Putin undermined his own early commitment to building a “dictatorship of the law” through what was widely seen as a politically-motivated legal assault on Yukos, once Russia’s biggest oil company.
Speaking just before handing power to Mr Medvedev, Mr Putin said he had “made a commitment to work openly and honestly, to serve the people and the state faithfully. And I did not violate my promise.”
The ceremony was shown live on Russia’s two main national TV channels, with sweeping aerial shots from helicopters and crane-mounted cameras of the Kremlin and the Moscow skyline – now boasting modern skyscrapers that did not exist when Mr Putin took power.
Mr Putin is expected on Thursday to be confirmed by the Russian parliament as prime minister, and will also become chairman of the dominant political party, United Russia.
Analysts expect Mr Putin to remain Russia’s most powerful figure initially, though say Mr Medvedev may well use the powers vested in him by Russia’s highly presidential constitution to assert himself over time.
Under the constitution, the president is commander-in-chief, responsible for foreign policy and security issues, and for setting the general direction of policies. The prime minister and government are responsible for implementing policy, especially in the economic field.
While respecting a pledge not to alter the constitution to shift more powers to the premier’s role, Mr Putin has strengthened his future position by ensuring governors of Russia’s 85 regions will report to him, not to the Kremlin.
(FT)
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Drill why are these guys so hairless? thats just not real.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:54 pmand where’s the hairy emoticon?
He’s got snake eyes.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:57 pm“He’s got snake eyes.” who that ? the browny puppet ?
though, not Putin, I would say of an eagle ;
he is savouring the power, him, the anonymous child of st Petersburg, whose family was humble workers, now he has recreated his heart family, play-boys of st Petersburg have become the new noble class (bizarre that we can only find refined people in st Petersburg, I advise you to visit it, though, beautiful place), he has achieved his goals, retablish Russia as a world partner, give back her people proudness for their patry… well despite his KGB past, I don’t think he is a threat for the western world, he has understood that businesses brings richness and makes the population happy, he might be our best paravent against China’s expension
May 8th, 2008 at 2:21 amSorry franchie, you missed that one. Putin is most certainly a Reptilian humanoid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptilian_humanoid
If Michael Jackson can change his color, why can’t the richest thief in the world?
“he has achieved his goals, retablish Russia as a world partner,”
If Putin and the Russian people think that rolling out some of their old tired out of date military hardware for a parade makes them a 1st class military power, good luck with that to them, Saddam thought the same thing. When Russia has a GDP of more than New York State, like 50 times more!, then they’ll be on par against the US, but still not against the US and here allies (which include France by the way
). Without their nuclear arms Russia is no more of a threat than the Warsaw Pact, …oh, sorry, there is no Warsaw Pact anymore, they lost the cold war. What makes Putin think one member of the former communist club is seen as a world class deterrent? Pure propaganda for the home team is all it is. I do believe you are correct in the statement about a buffer to Chinese expansion but I believe Putin would do more for his country if he would side with Europe and the US instead of trying to be a counter balance or odd man out.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=d00f765b-8d53-41c0-980d-083753036156
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-33440120080506
May 8th, 2008 at 4:29 am“but I believe Putin would do more for his country if he would side with Europe and the US instead of trying to be a counter balance or odd man out.”
he isn’t, I read yesterday tha Bush was the first to congratulate the new president of Russia
all the biquerings are because of the Poles’ and Tchekies’ missiles crisis, I bet there are backyards discussions there that we aren’t aware of
This is a white population with the same cultural basis (communism was epiphenomenal in their history), the whites aren’t going to be the numerous population on the planet, (yes, he managed to be the tsarevitch of Russia, though Russia has always been ruled by that sort of autocrate, population there feel more secure with a strong personnalit, therefore the white populations need to find agreements, I am sure that are on plans
agree that traditionnally France had an inclination for Russia, long history with the population, lots of refugiees from the bolchevick revolution found refuge into France, the tsars had all a french cultural background in humanities, arts…
May 8th, 2008 at 4:55 amHey Vlad. Fuck of cock eater.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:39 amGood bye Vlad???
May 8th, 2008 at 7:50 amThat prick isn’t going anywhere.