Boris Yelstin, then-president and Putin, then-prime minister, in December 1999
Putin's Extraordinary Path From Soviet Slums To The World's Stage -- Elena Holodny, Business Insider
Vladimir Putin may be the wild card in world affairs right now, but he didn't gain that influence overnight.
The Russian President's ascension to power is filled with spies, armed conflicts, oligarchs, oil and (of course) judo.
So here's how a onetime "nobody" climbed up the ranks to become the "World's Most Powerful Person."
Read more ....
My Comment: The links that are provided by this article are very detailed. All of this is a must read for anyone who is a "Putin watcher".
Look at baby face.
ReplyDeletePutin grew up in the by slums, got into fights by choice or by necessity and became a scrapper.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. might have too much economic power ... but throw China into mix.
Obama grew up relatively wealthy. He was at least upper middle class (UMC). All his protestations about being a minority are junk. He grew up in Hawaii and went to a private school. I know how much those cost. On the national stage politically Obama is a lion since he has many backers politically and in press. Nationally, he is fierce. He will roll Boehner and the RINOs.
The Russian economy might tank, stay tanked and ruin Putin's political career, legacy and work.
If China does not implode, can keep Russia in the black & the U.S. weakens before China, I vote for the pugnacious one.
I am aware of that part of Saint Petersburg where Putin grew up .... it was a slum then, and it is a slum now. It also explains Putin's foul language that he sometimes employs .... he probably got it from there.
ReplyDeleteMy comment was that I think Putin is better than Obama because of his pugnaciousness (combativeness)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugnacious
Obama IMO seems more like the mouse that roared.
His vision of America is one of original sin and some of us believe that he wants to have it's "wings clipped". A view is more charitable view is that Obama is naïve or otherworldly. I believe the former not the latter. We will know more when he leaves office and goes on the lecture circuit.
It is a dangerous world out there.
Putin may not be the sharpest tool in the drawer, but It will take combative over otherworldly/naïve.
WNU,
ReplyDeleteYour post has had me poking around some dark dusty old mental corners. A name jumped out that hadn't thought of in a long time, Viktor Ivanovich Ilyin, ring a bell?
Also I stumbled across a connection probably minor but interesting. As a young student Putin interest was chemistry and guess what Medvedev's father taught at Leningrad State Institute of Technology, yep chemical processes.
Anyway I need your help on a question: When Putin describes himself to Russians in domestic speeches does he try to come across as the Russian "common man"? This has been one of your fascinating posts and I have a few more inquiries, but I have to think on them a little more.
"Obama is a lion..."
ReplyDelete"Nationally, he is fierce..."
Thank god I wasn't having my daily pint of Guinness when I saw those comments!
But I definitely think I should drown myself in beer after reading them!
D Plowman,
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I do not think much of Obama or he will think will do much good for America.
But IMHO, he is kicking Boehner's butt. He is getting laws passed or policies implemented by fiat.
So I stand by my words. I wish I was wrong.
If you have another opinion especially showing where I am mistaken, I will read it.
"As a young student Putin interest was chemistry and guess what Medvedev's father taught at Leningrad State Institute of Technology, yep chemical processes."
ReplyDeleteThe younger Medeyev was a reformer until the screws were turned on him or so I read. Maybe I am reading the wrong stuff.
I could go conspiracy theory, but since I do not have to make a decision, it is better to wait. Wait & take notes. I got nothing.
I want to see what rabbit you pull out next.
James .... Viktor Ivanovich Ilyin .... the name did not ring a bell until I Googled it .... and then the memories came back. My uncle got promoted because of what he did .... they cleaned out the military fearing they were more Viktor Ilyin's hanging around and/or in positions of power ... hence my uncle and others like him were fast tracked.
ReplyDeleteAs to Putin's domestic speeches .... completely opposite from President Obama. He always uses words like "we, us, Russia" .... never words like "I or me". He rarely refers to President Obama by name .... when he talks about policies from the U.S., he always refers it as coming from the U.S. government ... never from an individual or from the people of the U.S.. He rarely uses a teleprompter .... he does not have to ... he usually knows what he wants to say .... and he says it. He has speech writers .... but he usually does the final edit. What he says is also important .... he has a very good read on what Russian people are thinking .... and if he agrees with it .... he makes it public. Case in point .... Ukraine. Everyone in Russia wants to help the people in eastern Ukraine .... Putin makes it very clear that he does support the aspirations of the pro-Russian rebels, and he always publicly states that Russia will provide help (which they have on numerous occasions). 90% of the Russian people are also against a Russian military involvement in the conflict .... but on this point Putin says nothing but the following .... "There are no Russian troops in Ukraine". No one believes him .... but for some reason .... this official announcement makes everyone feel comfortable that at least officially .... they are not at war.
But Putin comes across best when he presents himself as the "common man" .... but not in the manner that his handlers like. I have seen how he handles crowds .... it is impressive, and he usually lets his emotions show. This has an impact .... and in Russia word of mouth usually has a bigger impact than television. And when he holds his annual press conference where everything goes and all possible questions are asked .... that is where he presents himself the best. I personally never liked his answers, but for the Russian public not accustom to this .... they eat it up.
The Medvedev link at Leningrad State is interesting .... I do not know if he taught Putin .... but I will inquire. I do know one thing though .... Putin has always had a soft spot to all of his teachers. Here is one example .... http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4504539,00.html
As to who brought Putin and Medvedev together .... credit belongs to this man Anatoly Sobchak http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoly_Sobchak
Sighhh .... Anatoly Sobchak is someone that I wanted to work with in the early 1990s .... and I would have done it for free .... but after the Russian crisis of 1993 life took me somewhere else. Long story .... maybe I will talk about it one day.
WNU,
ReplyDeleteI always thought it a little strange that Ilyin was institutionalized and not executed. As for Sobchak he's past my time so I know very little about him. Didn't he die in somewhat odd circumstances? I should google him.
There was once a school of thought that there was little or no chance of coincidences in closed political systems (Soviet Union, China, etc), I never felt that to be valid. Perhaps the rate of coincidences would be lower , but impossible to eradicate or ignore. Which is a round of bout way of getting to my next question. Most bio material on Putin I've reviewed, tends to emphasize he was just ordinary run of the mill, etc, etc. But he kept getting into first rate educational systems/programs, then fairly high ranking regional security jobs (don't anyone tell me that the KGB would send any old schlub into Herr Marcus's house) and then the fairly high ranking regional political realm, all without an obvious patron, if you believe the material on him. All of this is possible, but would rank up there with the "immaculate conception" in the world of marvels. WNU I'm not sure that I'm looking for a comment about that, just a passing observation.
ReplyDeleteThis I would like a comment on if possible, I've noticed that Putin has seemed to have moved control of the armed forces away from the Leningrad group and towards the East. At least I seem to detect tartarish names, facial features, etc, among some appointees.