Posted on 03/18/2014 10:53:20 AM PDT by goldstategop
(Reuters) - To thunderous applause, cheers and even tears, Vladimir Putin delivered a fiercely patriotic speech on Tuesday that laid claim to Crimea and set out a vision of a Greater Russia that could define his third term as President.
In a 47-minute address to his loyal political and business elite that was interrupted by clapping at least 30 times, Putin described a deeply conservative world view in which Russia hankered after land lost when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Presenting himself as the guardian of the nation and of Russians everywhere, the former KGB spy spat defiance at the West and charted an inward-looking course that underlined the shift in his thinking since he first rose to power 14 years ago.
"In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia," Putin said in a passionate address, delivered from a lectern in the Kremlin's glittering St George Hall two days after Crimea voted in a disputed referendum to become part of Russia.
Two years after mass protests in Moscow and other big cities that briefly shook his grip on power, this was the Putin of old - confident, defiant and steely, and, for many Russians, at his best in a crisis.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
You long for a communist dictator?
Of course, a complete reversal to the “days of yore” for Russia is a “reactionary” move and not a “conservative” move by Russia in politial terms. However, Reuters wants to use that term so that the negative issues of Russia’s move on the world stage are associated with “conservative” and negative connotations the media always wants associated with the term “conservative.”
Conservative would have been slow careful reform and revison, something that is not associated with anything in that unfortunate area right now.
Sorry, but Reagan was not a communist dictator.
“Russian Reagan?” Reagan didn’t believe in a one party state run by a former secret police man. Reagan had faith in the people and didn’t want the government bothering them or interfering in their lives. Putin’s is an autocrat on a good day.
Yes, Putin is our enemy. He wishes us harm.
But I can understand why the Russian people think he's t*ts.
Perhaps the word “conservative” fits...it’s obvious that a conservative (Putin) is much more intelligent, tactical, and successful than is our liberal progressive Obamadork/felon/quota boy. (And boy, do I mean BOY!)
How many kids has Obama droned to death? How many Christians have Uncle Scam’s Al Qaeda allies slaughtered in Syria?
That’s a straw argument and false equivalence. Both putin and the kenyan can be worthy of opposition. You need to learn to multi task, FRiend.
That is a scurrilous thing to say about President Reagan. He was not a communist.
Some people, the type who’d want to be associated with Putin as a “conservative,” are actually too ignorant of what conservatism is to be one. They’re simply worshiping power.
Hardly.
I do long for a great country with a strong government capable of defending our interests aboad and preserving our traditional values at home.
We certainly do not need to copy others to learn how its done. Americans are capable of doing that for themselves.
Dude! Where do you live?
New Zealand?
Where on earth are you coming from?
Just like the Iranian clerics, by some baffling reason they are also "Conservative".
No word on Kim Jong Un - yet.
The Putin/Reagan comparisons are flying fast and furious on this thread.
I didn’t mean it in a derogatory manner.
I mean the Russians have a leader like we used to have in Reagan: patriotic, proud, defiant, steely and confident.
Those are things Americans liked about Reagan and that Russians like about Putin.
Not like the man-child we have in Obama.
The words Obama and leader, like the words Obama and president should never be used in the same sentence.
Yup - we shouldn’t go too far with them.
Russia is a worthy and determined adversary and we must treat it as such - with respectful resistance.
And Obama is not Putin’s equal and will never be.
Putin is seeking to liberate ethnic Russians from nations that seek to mistreat and marginalize them. And is also standing with those who have chosen not to follow the west into the ditch of debauchery, abortion promotion and sodomy that liberals everywhere lead by Obama seem hell bent on driving us into.
I have no allegiance to a country which has forsaken freedom for an imperial presidency which actively promotes sodomy, abortion, debachary, and is aggressively anti-Christian. My allegiance is to freedom and to the free country into which I was born that apparently no longer exists.
Amen.
I can’t find one reason to like our own President and I find myself respecting his nemesis.
Welcome to our new reality!
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