Putin scares me. Does he scare you?

[Eleusis]

Putin threatens nuclear war

Putin gives us a very small taste of his capabilities when he does things like turn off the taps to the Ukraing (and Western Europe) oil supply in the dead of winter. When snuggles up with Ahmadinejad and stops a pipeline from being built across the Caspan because he might not be able to control the flow of oil. When occupies Chechnya and opresses them so much they turn out a couple of nutters oin desperation who open fire on a primary school. The list goes on. Putin is afraid of nothing. And he is above nothing.

What scares me the most is number of people who are not scared of him.

Bush will be gone in 2 years. ANd then you will be saying President Obama.

Og god I hope not

sorry, haven't read the whole thread, I've been scared by Putin for ages, and not just by his missiles. The current conditions in Russia are scary. Has anyone watched the fantastic documentaries on BBC3 (last year) and more 4 (three weeks ago)?
He sought consensus through the war in Chechnya (of which he's never been officially contested by the EU, due to its dependency on Russia's gas). It actually won him the elections and nationalism and racism is on the rise in Russia. What is not on the rise is Russia is its population, which is considerably decreasing. If memory serves me well currently 10 pregnancies result in just 2 healthy babies (abortions, stillbirths, birth defects due to severe alcoholism and the terrible state of the health system). Not to mention the spread of HIV, with the state giving only a tiny proportion of the money made exporting energy to projects to contain it and cure those affected.
Scary indeed.

If Hilary gets in, I'll have to top myself.

I haven't quite decided, but I think I'm for guiliani. I like McCain, but I think he's too old, sadly. We would have been better off if he had beater Geaorge W Bush. But, now I think it's too late for him.

I'm hoping a better canidate comes along. I have to say that I haven't seen anyone yet who impresses me.

Not by a long shot, although the people I would love to run won't be

At the end of the day Paula and I will probably vote for the same candidate in the general election -- whoever gets the Republican nomination. I'm guessing from some of your posts, Kerry, that you'll be on the other side of the fence.

Of course we can still be friends.

Paula, are you going to watch the debate tomorrow night (7.00 pm Eastern time)?

Is it on fox?

Putin looks ex KGB because he IS ex KGB. I do not approve of Putin's sustained oppression of Chechnya in any way, but then again I do not approve of Britain and the US's support for Israel so I cannot say which world leader is worse or better than any other. I personally think that Putin has been better for Russia than that brain dead moron Yelstin was, but far worse that Gorbachev who IMO was truly inspirational.

And to all those who think that Russia's claims about Litvinyenko are preposterous - stranger things gave happened and are happening now. For example, according to an article in the New statesman 2 weeks ago, the US government has been making secret payments to Hamas - the so called ' terrorist' ( their words, definitely not mine ) organisation - to fight Fatah and further destabilise the Palestinian authority. yes, good old Dubya giving money to the people he refuses to meet face to face and denounces as terrorists. Quel surprise.

My point - firstly, all these leaders are as corrupt as eachother, and secondly, never say ' that's impossible' because in the internecine world of politics and espionage, it certainly is possible.

Donnie, is he really ex-KGB. Does that happen? Can you be ex-KGB?

I'm wondering what the republican americans think of the possibility of that Fred Thompson fellow as the Republican Candidate? I have friends who are rooting for him to run.

yes, he was in the KGB - pretty common knowledge. The transition from the KGB into the politbureau is a smooth one in Russia. All the Cold war leaders were ex KGB.

Who is Fred Thompson anyway?

US Presidential debate talk over here

Apologies for earlier hijack.