'Chop off their hands' says Putin

news.com.au ^ | March 12, 2008

[Tailgunner Joe]

RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin has come up with a novel - and old-fashioned - solution to corrupt officials: chop off their hands.

"It would be good to cut off the hand, as they used to in the Middle Ages," Putin was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass during a meeting with parliamentary leaders.

The radical idea followed a complaint at the meeting by Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov that "just to build 100 apartments you have to run around for 24 hours looking for permits and greasing hands".

Putin, who says corruption is Russia's most serious problem, answered, "all you'd have to do is start and that hand would immediately stop reaching for bribes".

[utherdoul]

He may be onto something here. There are no shortage of politicons in this country who could use a few less hands.

[Slings and Arrows]

Even Vlad ain't all bad.

[Regulator]

That works.

But Zyuganov complaining about it? Who's he kidding? The corruption under the Communists was the only way anything happened.

[nina0113]

Putin, who says corruption is Russia's most serious problem, answered, "all you'd have to do is start and that hand would immediately stop reaching for bribes".

He is actually right on both counts, but I'd like to think Russian justice has progressed beyond that. Do they still have the death penalty?

[Enterprise]

Spitz should be glad he’s not in Russia.

[silverleaf]

What’s Putin’s net worth? How about his wife’s?
All acquired without corruption of course...

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

A Russian politician complaining about corruption is like, well, an American politician complaining about corruption.

[Red Badger]

You have to admit, he’s got a point, there!..............

[Callahan]

The Senate Piano club would have exactly zero members.

[Enchante]

LOL. Eliot Spitzer and Bill Clinton should be glad they don’t face such penalties because it would be another part of the anatomy that gets chopped off...... the “Lorena Bobbitt Treatment”

[Red in Blue PA]

Really? And how did HE acquire his net worth?

[LIConFem]

Careful, Vlad... you’d be one of the first to lose your mits.

[dblshot]

“just to build 100 apartments you have to run around for 24 hours looking for permits and greasing hands”.

Man, I’d be happy to grease a few palms if I could get a building permit in 24 hours. What with evironmental. drainage, zoning, fire, civil, etc etc we’re talking months to build a 100 unit apartment complex.

[Smokin' Joe]

How...Islamic! Then they could run around, making speeches, with their stump in your pocket...

I think Guillotine was closer to the mark.

[Red Badger]

Do as I say, Not as I do, comrade...........

[RightWhale]

Do they still have the death penalty?

Nobody in Russia dies a natural death.

[Caramelgal]

I think Guillotine was closer to the mark.

Nah. The Guillotine is too French.

What about a good old fashion "tar and feathering"?

[WackySam]

"just to build 100 apartments you have to run around for 24 hours looking for permits and greasing hands".

Only 24 hours for 100 apartment permits? Sounds pretty quick to me. I have more hours than that just trying to build a 500sqft addition to my house.

[Kenny Bunk]

just to build 100 apartments you have to run around for 24 hours looking for permits and greasing hands".

This is a complaint? 24 hrs to get permits! Tell that blithering commie bâtard this is blinding speed compared to any American town I know of! Try 6 months.