Im of the opinion that Putin is a figurehead, or possibly a member of organised crime that is running rampant in Russia at the moment. However, with this being said, I would have to agree with this statement.

"Even when dictatorship is beautifully gift-wrapped in pseudo-democratic phraseology it has never been capable of resolving such systemic problems. On the contrary, it can only make them worse," Putin said.

He also accused the West of practising double standards on terrorism and questioned whether fair elections could be held in Iraq as violence persisted.

Since Putin is one, i would imagine it takes one to know one.

This speaks volumes of how the world percieves Bush. As a dictator.

Do we believe now

Originally posted by dgtempe
This speaks volumes of how the world percieves Bush. As a dictator.

Do we believe now

Right wing conservatives will never believe it. We are talking about the fearless leader they elected. Pure Nationalisim at its best/worst.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Since Putin is one, i would imagine it takes one to know one.

This speaks volumes of how the world percieves Bush. As a dictator.

Do we believe now

Putin may be a dictator, but he is one with popular support. If an election was held tomorrow, he would win by a landslide.

America is an empire, and there are no "good" empires. With supreme power there are no restraints, all is open to you, and there isn't a single vice you won't commit to continue indulging in the fruits of empire. Perhps waht Putin has in mind is a return to the bipolar situation, ie. cold war era. Wheras "multipolar" would be preferiable.

Putin is undeniably an idiot if he thinks that the U.S. is a dictatorship.

I live here and I can tell everyone one thing, I don't live in fear of the government.

Not for one second.

I work where I want. I take vacations to where I want and when I want without any interference from local, state or federal government.

United States a dictatorship!

Tell me another one!

thats because you are white, male, middle class and straight (presumably)

onto the real subject at hand: Putin is a hypocrite in the purest sense of the word, but that doesn't stop him from being right. Putin is a hypocrite because he has personally led a terrible system of repression and state-sponsored terrorism against Chechnya. He has presided over the mass-slaughter of Chechnyen rebels and civilians alike. He is a butcher of the highest calibre. Putin has long sinced joined the ranks of Pot, Sharon, Nixon, Hussein and Pinochet as one of the worst terrorists of our time. While I agree with his assessment of the US, he is in no position to point the finger.

about morrymeltzer's comment about pot calling kettle black.
its true isnt it?
the kettle is black.
the pot may be,
but like someone else said
it takes one to know one.
and if the pot is black then that pot seems to be in the best position to know dont you think?

Another world leader, good or bad is only thru our prismatic view, has taken the Bush Cabal to task,,,,ACCURATELY.
Chirac, Shroder, Mandela, Putin, Castro - doesn't matter what you think of them, each one has made an exceedingly accurate, measured & erudite assessement of how the Bush Cabal has damaged the rest of the World (P.S. they ARE the rest of the world so we SHOULD listen).

Logically, you have to factor motive along with content, but the keyword is FACTOR not DISCOUNT, because you presume the former supercedes the latter.

Originally posted by General Zapata
thats because you are white, male, middle class and straight (presumably)

onto the real subject at hand: Putin is a hypocrite in the purest sense of the word, but that doesn't stop him from being right. Putin is a hypocrite because he has personally led a terrible system of repression and state-sponsored terrorism against Chechnya. He has presided over the mass-slaughter of Chechnyen rebels and civilians alike. He is a butcher of the highest calibre. Putin has long sinced joined the ranks of Pot, Sharon, Nixon, Hussein and Pinochet as one of the worst terrorists of our time. While I agree with his assessment of the US, he is in no position to point the finger.

Infact I see REAL hypocracy in the west viewing certain insurgencies as "freedom struggles" (Chechnya/Kashmir) and others as... well, terrorism..
(Palestine etc. etc.)..

The world views america as a hypocritical superpower.. and that is the sign of imperialism..Putin may not be indicating that Bush is "dictating" over his own people, but he may (infact is) indicating at the global dictatorship America is pursuing...
Now only twits would read that as any other kind of dictatorship

[edit on 29-7-2005 by Daedalus3]

Putin's perception is not the reality of the situation, I think he is just trying to hide his own bad record on this subject.

When Bush forst came to power Putin slammed him continually. The he relaized that his Russian Genocide called Chechnya could be a "fight against terroism" when it was so much more compicated than that. As for America being under a dictaorship that is a bit much. Sure we have only 2 parites which is pretty much the same as one. But we can do many other things that mosts dictators wouldn't allow. Putin is a thug and a criminal the reason he wins these landslide election is because if you pose a serious threat to him you are kidnapped or arrested.

The US has a Dictatorship over the world which is what Putin was poiting to but he has a Dictatorship over Russia, both bad things indeed.

Don't forget, this is the same Putin that when Bush looked into his eyes he saw the soul of a decent person.

Bush needs to wake up and figure out that this guy is not his "good friend."

I'm no politics expert. Not by a long shot but I'll say what I see. Which is a very stupid American President god knows how he clings to power but he does. He just sat there when the 9/11 attacks started. He didnt seem to give a # about the Hurricane Katrina. He has had more holiday time then any other American president in history. A total stooge. The I see a russian President as a total gangster. He wages are war against a country that really does not want to be part of Russia and when they resist he calls them terrorists! Admititly they should not of held those school children hostage or as I remember blown up a rock festival in or near Moscow. Still its all quite sad really.

Originally posted by Bout Time
Logically, you have to factor motive along with content, but the keyword is FACTOR not DISCOUNT, because you presume the former supercedes the latter.

Bravo!

All too many people make this mistake. As a matter of fact, it's so common that it's a logical fallacy all its own, known as ad hominem-- an attack on the person making an argument rather than the argument itself.

Sure, Putin's criticism of the US is largely, if not entirely, self-serving. That, however, does not make it incorrect. The criticism either stands or falls on its own-- the source of the criticism and that source's possible motives are entirely moot.

Sometimes the POT calls the KETTLE black
because the POT wants the KETTLE to
be heavily scrutinized.

While the KETTLE is under the microscope, the POT
cooks up a very nasty stew, and everybody has a bite.

If i live in a dictatorship... Then everything that I have learned about them in the past is a complete fallacy.

Are we the ONLY nation that doesn't critizise Bush?