Well, in fairness--who HASN'T expressed an anti-Putin sentiment on this forum?

I mean, when your get indignant over every little thing and claim the moral high ground over everyone else while being a dogmatic Stalinist... ;)

(I kid, Putin...we kid the ones we love the most in Internet life, yes? If not, prove me right and get indignant!)



As to that "other" Putin, that guy named Vlad who's taking Russia further and further back into the depths of utter autocratic authoritarian rule...

I can only hope the protests continue and gather steam and are effective someday.

The man isn't good for the youth of that nation, isn't good for the social growth or public image of that nation, isn't good for the future of that nation, and isn't good for the future of international affairs on the world stage.

Simply put--Putin must be expunged (the Vlad one, not our Putin, he's too-too much fun!)

:)

Nice armchairing Obi, got anything useful in their?

What's next for Russia? Twelve years of Putin, for one. He will never leave power willingly since he has too much to lose and the entire political class is dependent on the system of patronage and corruption which he heads. No one knows what will come after him, and no one is planning it since there's still so much time left till he would have to leave office (unless there's another convenient constitutional amendment). Russia will continue to live with massive corruption, a declining or at least no-growth population, and an increasingly erratic international behavior as its relative influence ebbs even further.