Crazy Like A Cobra

Wait; don't I mean: "crazy like a fox?"

No; like a cobra. Who? Current Russian president Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Putin is constitutionally-prohibited from seeking a third term as president this coming spring. But, dear readers, please understand that he is not going away. Not at all.

Putin, 55 (b. 10-07-1952) was personally selected by Boris Yeltsin to succeed him. Putin's background consists of a law degree, as well as having worked for the KGB from 1975 to 1991. Yeltsin then placed Putin strategically into the various Russian intelligence organizations that replaced the KGB.

That written, Putin will be around for some time to come. At a recent general congress of the United Russia party, many delegates got up and "begged" Putin to amend their constitution so that he could run for a third term. Though he refused, he did agree to lead the "short list" of U.R. candidates for State Duma elections this December.

What that means is this: in the next Duma convention, Vladimir Putin could become Prime Minister. And if so, where do you suppose the real power will transition? And who will become President? And how much true power will he have?

The real writing on the wall: United Russia delegates agreed to make the text of a Putin speech their precise party platform.

But let's do also what I call the Logical Extension: by doing this, throwing his current weight behind the United Russia party, has not Russia returned to a One Party system once more? I would submit that it has. And with Putin in complete control.

Here's what shall occur in the future: Putin will in fact become PM. His presidential choice shall likely be Viktor Zubkov -- Russia's current Prime Minister. A man who owes Putin any number of favors and a man who shall do Putin's bidding.

Putin will then continue his sabre-rattling, his associations with Iran, and any other nation-state he feels will help place Russia back into a position of global fear. That is to say, the fear of Russia.

BZ