Putin warning...

[Osem]

President Vladimir Putin has warned Russians of hard times ahead as he delivers his annual state of the nation address to parliament.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30322198

Speaking to both chambers in the Kremlin, Mr Putin condemned Western governments for seeking to raise a new iron curtain around Russia.

Western sanctions, in response to Russia's role in eastern Ukraine, and falling oil prices have hit hard.

From what I've heard on RT/Sputnik the west is to blame for everything and the tougher the sanctions, the more popular Putin becomes amongst his people who are of course quite used to hard times unlike their decadent western counterparts. I'm just wondering if we are in danger of pushing Putin too far and creating a kneejerk reaction which sets off a dangerous chain of events?

[papa smurf]

the commi midget is the problem he thinks he can bully every one into submission ,the soviet union is gone but he wont let go

[Osem]

Trouble is his people like him and the more we detest him the more popular he seems to become. He's also doing what Kirchner (and many others) has done from time to time and that is stirring up dangerous nationalistic sentiment at home in order to deflect attention from other issues.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Osem

Trouble is his people like him and the more we detest him the more popular he seems to become. He's also doing what Kirchner (and many others) has done from time to time and that is stirring up dangerous nationalistic sentiment at home in order to deflect attention from other issues.

I was speaking on facebook to the Russian girlfriend of a friend of mine. She was saying the Russians don't understand why we westerners have a problem with him.

She was saying that there have been a lot of problems in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and he has done a lot to solve them.

The trouble is Hitler was apparently viewed the same way by Germans. They had massive problems. He came in, apparently solved the problems and they loved him for it. The fact he was a genocidal maniac appeared to be beside the point.

I think the problems in Russia have been caused by a combination of organised crime and large corporations. Putin may well have been part of the problem as he owns several large corporations.

The thing that concerns me with Putin is that people form an opinion based on what they see, hear and read in the media. Putin owns a staggering amount of media. He may be using that media to control people's opinions. Russia Today is made by one of Putin's corporations and is sometimes held up as being independent from government control, as they've famously critcised putin in the past, but they've only critcised him a couple of times, and actually seem to fall into line with Putin's view generally.

Then there was the farce that was the Winter Olympics which, I am sorry to say, appeared only to have been staged to ensure mega profits for the Russian companies involved.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I was speaking on facebook to the Russian girlfriend of a friend of mine. She was saying the Russians don't understand why we westerners have a problem with him.

She was saying that there have been a lot of problems in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and he has done a lot to solve them.

The trouble is Hitler was apparently viewed the same way by Germans. They had massive problems. He came in, apparently solved the problems and they loved him for it. The fact he was a genocidal maniac appeared to be beside the point.

I think the problems in Russia have been caused by a combination of organised crime and large corporations. Putin may well have been part of the problem as he owns several large corporations.

The thing that concerns me with Putin is that people form an opinion based on what they see, hear and read in the media. Putin owns a staggering amount of media. He may be using that media to control people's opinions. Russia Today is made by one of Putin's corporations and is sometimes held up as being independent from government control, as they've famously critcised putin in the past, but they've only critcised him a couple of times, and actually seem to fall into line with Putin's view generally.

Then there was the farce that was the Winter Olympics which, I am sorry to say, appeared only to have been staged to ensure mega profits for the Russian companies involved.

I tend to agree and I think we in the west need to be fully cognisant of the danger inherent in this situation. Having said that, sitting back, doing nothing and allowing him to take liberties in former soviet States isn't going to do much for world stability either. As long as Putin is able to successfully blame the west for all Russia's ills, we're going to be in between a rock and a hard place. I'm certain Putin knows this and will exploit it to the full.

[alanbjames]

Putin wants to be the next Stalin.

Look at what he said a week or so ago that he didn't think anything was wrong with the pact Russia made with Nazi Germany.

Did he suddenly have a memory lapse that the Russians were stabbed in the back by Nazi Germany? If it wasn't for the fact of such a harsh winter in which the Russians were used to Germany would have taken Moscow as they were only a few miles outside.

[Pierre]

the oil price has gone through the floor, couple with sanctions because of Ukraine.

Tough times are indeed ahead.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by alanbjames

Putin wants to be the next Stalin.

Look at what he said a week or so ago that he didn't think anything was wrong with the pact Russia made with Nazi Germany.

Did he suddenly have a memory lapse that the Russians were stabbed in the back by Nazi Germany? If it wasn't for the fact of such a harsh winter in which the Russians were used to Germany would have taken Moscow as they were only a few miles outside.

Putin knows Germany is key to Russia's interests in the EU.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bd0c36c-7...#axzz3KwOw5k4R

Originally Posted by Stuart

The trouble is Hitler was apparently viewed the same way by Germans.

Ooo ... you broke the thread ...

[Uncle Peter]

US and OPEC duking it out over the price of crude and new drilling projects popping up all over the place in the US. Not quite what Vlad was banking on in fact it's hurting the Iranians as well since they have the highest break-even price in the OPEC membership.

War anyone?

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

US and OPEC duking it out over the price of crude and new drilling projects popping up all over the place in the US. Not quite what Vlad was banking on in fact it's hurting the Iranians as well since they have the highest break-even price in the OPEC membership.

War anyone?

Perfect storm brewing then?...

---------- Post added at 16:51 ---------- Previous post was at 16:37 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

Ooo ... you broke the thread ...

(seasonal mode on) Oh no he didn't!!...

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

US and OPEC duking it out over the price of crude and new drilling projects popping up all over the place in the US. Not quite what Vlad was banking on in fact it's hurting the Iranians as well since they have the highest break-even price in the OPEC membership.

War anyone?

Horrible and flippant as it sounds we're probably overdue one given long-standing global tensions, and I suspect it's only nuclear weapons that have prevented it, perverse as that sounds.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by alanbjames

Putin wants to be the next Stalin.

Look at what he said a week or so ago that he didn't think anything was wrong with the pact Russia made with Nazi Germany.

Did he suddenly have a memory lapse that the Russians were stabbed in the back by Nazi Germany? If it wasn't for the fact of such a harsh winter in which the Russians were used to Germany would have taken Moscow as they were only a few miles outside.

The attack wasn't the fault of the pact, that worked out very well for the soviets, increasing both their territory and spheres of influence. Make no mistake Vlad is a very smart, shrewd man who we would be very foolish to underestimate.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Chris

Ooo ... you broke the thread ...

Lol. Who would have thunk it? I proved Godwin's law on the fourth post.

[Osem]

It's ironic that at a time when the internet ought to be the source of accurate information about events around the world, it's being used more and more to propagate dangerous propaganda by one side/group/faction or another. Who knows what's true anymore? It seems clear to me that many ordinary Russians believe what Putin tells them and that has to be a very dangerous situation. God only knows what he might do if he starts to believe his own publicity, emboldened by popular support.

---------- Post added at 11:15 ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 ----------

Found this interesting:

Russians were looking to their leader for reassurance, worried by the near-daily slide of the rouble and warnings of recession under the twin pressures of Western sanctions and a falling oil price.

What they got was another patriotic rallying cry, and more bellicose talk directed at the West.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30340722

He described sanctions as simply the latest in a long line of a Western attempts to "contain" Russia and prevent it flourishing: if the crisis in Ukraine hadn't happened, Russia's ill-wishers would have found another way to hold her back, his argument went.

"President Putin never admits mistakes, so this speech had a sense of [being] right, of confidence and full command of the situation," says political analyst Masha Lipman.

She argues that what it lacked was any sense of empathy for "ordinary" Russians, who are facing 9% inflation and wondering whether it is time to empty their rouble bank accounts and buy dollars.

Still, Mr Putin does remain extraordinarily popular.

After the takeover of Crimea his rating soared over 80%, and even amid the latest economic downturn, it remains at a level most Western politicians could only dream of.

That is partly because state-controlled media have spent months glossing over the gloom.