I agree with this article that Putin (despite his portrayal in some of the Western media) is a man who is very sincere in his wish to restore prosperity to Russia and his people. As a leader he stands out in this respect as a lot of these kind of leaders often care nothing for their countries or people, only their own greed and comfort. Think Saddam Hussein.

I saw a documentary on how Putin rose from a nobody to someone who attained total power. His intelligence in understanding how to do this was immediately obvious and his intentions of doing what was best for Russia and his people was also obvious. At least that was my assessment of him as I sat watching this program trying to get a handle on this man who I had always found rathering fascinating.

As Saleem says in this article he has really turned the situatiion around in Russia. I dont think the Western media gets this,they just want to see him as a threat, but I think the West should tread softly in their condemnation of Putin and Russia. Russia under the right leadership could be more of a friend to the West than a foe.

I am not sure of Putins Motives.

I am sure that in the processes which took place through the last decade of the 20th century, the "lid" came off the old oppressive communist system too quickly.

The result, an anarchistic free-for-all.

The people of the old Soviet Block, particularly those of the old USSR, have been through a new political revolution. Those geographically closer to the west seem to have faired better than those further eastward.

This is possibly because the corrosive influences of communism were 4 or 5 generations deep to the east (since Lenin) and only 2 generations deep in the west (those countries subjegated by Stalin post WWII).

China may be next. I hope they will convert to capitalist democracy slower. I hope they take time to understand and implement the fundamental institutions and the check and balances which we take for granted, before relinquishing what we may consider an oppresive grip. This may take say two decades or a generation to deliver stable democracy. But that outcome will be a far better result for all the ordinary folk who, in the parallel Russian process, suffered the consequences of critical social dysfunction, corruption and anarchy.