Russia changes presidential term from four to six years

It is sad to see Russia lose it's democracy under Putin. It will be interesting to how Russia fares during the global recession.

Putin is just consolidating his dictatorship....

The U.S. should make a simiar change to limit a Presidential term to ONE 6 year length of service. A Constitutional Amendment could permit a RETURN Presidency, ONCE, after another President served after the LUCKY repeat elective official. What say YOUSE????

I think Presidents and any other part of government should be hired and fired by the people, the people could review them every 6 months.

who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?
you will never get any truth out of the media.

America vs. Russia
The Americans and Russians, at the height of the arms race, realized that if they continued in the usual manner they were going to blow up the whole world.
One day they sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight. They'd have five years to breed the best fighting dog in the world and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world. The losing side would have to lay down its arms.

The Russians found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler ------- in the world and bred them with the biggest meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from each litter, killed his siblings, and gave him all the milk. They used steroids and trainers and after five years came up with the biggest meanest dog the world had ever seen. Its cage needed steel bars that were three inches thick and nobody could get near it.

When the day came for the fight, the Americans showed up with a strange animal. It was a nine-foot long Dachshund. Everyone felt sorry for the Americans because they knew there was no way that this dog could possibly last ten seconds with the Russian dog.

When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out and wrapped itself around the outside of the ring. It had the Russian dog almost completely surrounded. When the Russian dog leaned over to bite the Dachshund's neck, the Dachshund reached out and consumed the Russian dog in one bite. There was nothing left at all of the Russian dog.

The Russians came up to the Americans, shaking their heads in disbelief.`We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for five years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler in the world and the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves."

"That's nothing," an American replied. "We had our best plastic surgeons working for five years to make an alligator look like a Dachshund."

Why not change the term to 20 years, or even life in the Grand Russian Czarist tradition? Six years is un-Russian!

Braveheart wrote:

I think Presidents and any other part of government should be hired and fired by the people, the people could review them every 6 months.

That would be expensive and cumbersome. But here's an alternative. Go back to the system the nation had at the beginning of the Republic. Let legislatures choose the Electoral College representatives, but then hold a new Electoral College vote every six months. The make up of the Electoral College would change as legislatures change. And every 2 years the legislatures could delegate their authority to the voters as they currently do.

david wayne osedach wrote:

It is sad to see Russia lose it's democracy under Putin. It will be interesting to how Russia fares during the global recession.

Russia is recovering from critical times caused by the worst depression ever, following the fall of the Soviet Union and the presidency of Boris Yeltsin,who was advised by the west and who was not competent to run the country....with two-thirds of the country's people losing their savings, and causing the deaths of millions, and the loss of people -forced to move to survive....which of course benefitted the arrogant countries of the west whose arts and sports, with this exodus....

Putin has done Russia a lot of good, he is supported by the majority of the people... and good for Russia and for Putin, for making Russia strong enough not to allow invasion or any more dirty tricks from the west....

Presidential elections are an internal affair and it is not up to you or other haters to be criticising Russia....and Russia isn't interfereing in the internal affairs of your country....are they?????

Red Army Defector wrote:

Putin is just consolidating his dictatorship....

Putin, who has the approval of the Russian people
is making sure that there is a Russia....a Russia who survives and prospers....unlike the western plan under Boris Yeltsin, who was insuring that Russia would not survive....with the west grabbing everything, the talented people and the resources....

Braveheart wrote:

who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?
you will never get any truth out of the media.

I would agree with that....the western media has been turned into the a propoganda mill par excellence....with the people's minds stuck in the past when the media had some scruples....

Braveheart wrote:

America vs. Russia
The Americans and Russians, at the height of the arms race, realized that if they continued in the usual manner they were going to blow up the whole world.
One day they sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight. They'd have five years to breed the best fighting dog in the world and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world. The losing side would have to lay down its arms.
The Russians found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler ------- in the world and bred them with the biggest meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from each litter, killed his siblings, and gave him all the milk. They used steroids and trainers and after five years came up with the biggest meanest dog the world had ever seen. Its cage needed steel bars that were three inches thick and nobody could get near it.
When the day came for the fight, the Americans showed up with a strange animal. It was a nine-foot long Dachshund. Everyone felt sorry for the Americans because they knew there was no way that this dog could possibly last ten seconds with the Russian dog.
When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out and wrapped itself around the outside of the ring. It had the Russian dog almost completely surrounded. When the Russian dog leaned over to bite the Dachshund's neck, the Dachshund reached out and consumed the Russian dog in one bite. There was nothing left at all of the Russian dog.
The Russians came up to the Americans, shaking their heads in disbelief.`We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for five years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler in the world and the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves."
"That's nothing," an American replied. "We had our best plastic surgeons working for five years to make an alligator look like a Dachshund."

Yes, Yes, a really cutesy chauvenistic joke...but it is not a joke that the western handlers of the American lapdog Saakashvilli, wagged the dog when Georgia attacked South Ossetia and the western media blamed Russia inspite of the facts....Apparently Russia han't wagged its tail by invading countries....like the USA has been doing so the western media decided to WAG THE DOG...

....I imagine the west has lots of dirty tricks...Like first upping the price of gasoline in the USA sky high...because of a supposed shortage, and then suddenly flooding the market with oil and dropping gas prices dramatically just before elections in the USA....

Since the USA really decides how much oil the Saudi's who are sitting on the world's largest oil field will be pumping...no doubt this little oil crisis has been manufactured to try to bankrupt Russia and to turn it into a lapdog of the USA, but I think that Medvedev and Putin who are running Russia are a little bit smarter than Boris Yelsin, who sold out his country, was....

I don't foreseee, the US oil men happy with smaller profits....so I don't think that the prices will remain low now....and I think that Medvedev and Putin will figure something out....
While the west plays lots of "dirty pool" and producing a lot of "chauvenistic jokes".....

Bairn of Ecgtheow wrote:

Why not change the term to 20 years, or even life in the Grand Russian Czarist tradition? Six years is un-Russian!

Why not be a good little west and stop interfering in the internal business of other countries.....does the USA own the entire world?....where is it written that it is a crime if countries of the world don't do exactly like the USA does.....just as long as they be the vassals who do what the USA says....Oh that's rigbht ....the despicable BUSH DOCTRINE...in which the USA arrogantly decides who might invade the USA before they actually do anything and then use that as a reason to aggress and destroy other coutnries.....very admirable....while trying to paint the New democratic Russia with the brush of the Stalin past....the USA is merrily aggressing whereever it feels like and bad-mouthing other coutnries while doing it.....
Now the question remains....Is Obama smart enough to realize the hypocritical fallacy of the Bush Doctrine and scrap that doctrine....or will he be cajoled into embracing it and continuing the agresssion on the world....

DOUBLE STANDARDS OF THE WORST KIND....

I think these changes are great news! The less democracy the Russians have the more fragile their country will become, as some necessities will be ignored and build up. Democracy's strength lies in its flexibility. When one party wins and another loses, the winning party brings part of society with it.

These democracy-weakening changes will lead Russia to the same place as the Soviet Union. Break up. Bush was keeping the pressure on them with missiles. Obama should do the same. Putin and Medvedev are leading Russia to ruin.

Stefanya wrote:

<quoted text>
Why not be a good little west and stop interfering in the internal business of other countries.....does the USA own the entire world?....where is it written that it is a crime if countries of the world don't do exactly like the USA does.....just as long as they be the vassals who do what the USA says....Oh that's rigbht ....the despicable BUSH DOCTRINE...in which the USA arrogantly decides who might invade the USA before they actually do anything and then use that as a reason to aggress and destroy other coutnries.....very admirable....while trying to paint the New democratic Russia with the brush of the Stalin past....the USA is merrily aggressing whereever it feels like and bad-mouthing other coutnries while doing it.....
Now the question remains....Is Obama smart enough to realize the hypocritical fallacy of the Bush Doctrine and scrap that doctrine....or will he be cajoled into embracing it and continuing the agresssion on the world....
DOUBLE STANDARDS OF THE WORST KIND....

You have associated Bush's policies with the policy that presidents have had for several generations to press democracy on other nations. In the past the US reacted to challenges like World War II by installing or encouraging democratic governance after winning our wars. Since the A-bomb was invented and missiles cut response time to just minutes, simply reacting to threats around the world by declaring war in response to an attack has not been enough. The nature of war has changed. Al Qaeda has proven that. Bush's policies are more aggressive because we are fighting a more insidious enemy, one that is entrenched in attitudes in the Muslim world, attitudes that are clearly in Iraq also.

The comment of mine that you responded to was my opinion, which I have a right to express. Expressing an opinion is not interference in the internal affairs of other nations, unless of course that nation happens to suppress the opinions of their own citizens, in which case perhaps that nation should send their thugs here to the US and beat me up for expressing it.

Stefanya wrote:

....I imagine the west has lots of dirty tricks...Like first upping the price of gasoline in the USA sky high...because of a supposed shortage, and then suddenly flooding the market with oil and dropping gas prices dramatically just before elections in the USA....
Since the USA really decides how much oil the Saudi's who are sitting on the world's largest oil field will be pumping...no doubt this little oil crisis has been manufactured to try to bankrupt Russia and to turn it into a lapdog of the USA, but I think that Medvedev and Putin who are running Russia are a little bit smarter than Boris Yelsin, who sold out his country, was....
I don't foreseee, the US oil men happy with smaller profits....so I don't think that the prices will remain low now....and I think that Medvedev and Putin will figure something out....
While the west plays lots of "dirty pool" and producing a lot of "chauvenistic jokes".....

HEY STEFANYA !!!!!!
Would U like to ROCK N ROLL along the lines of LED ZEPPELIN IV (2nd song on disc [or LP album from my days]??
You've got a lot of VOICE, but not much substance behind the rhetoric, eh?????
Let me know if you want to PARTY SOOON, m luv......

Bairn of Ecgtheow wrote:

I think these changes are great news! The less democracy the Russians have the more fragile their country will become, as some necessities will be ignored and build up. Democracy's strength lies in its flexibility. When one party wins and another loses, the winning party brings part of society with it.
These democracy-weakening changes will lead Russia to the same place as the Soviet Union. Break up. Bush was keeping the pressure on them with missiles. Obama should do the same. Putin and Medvedev are leading Russia to ruin.

Wishful thinking on your part...Medvedev and Putin will not allow the USA to bankrupt Russia in an attempt to take over land and resources which do not belong to the USA, who has turned into a global bully,like Great Britain used to be...

I think Medvedev and Putin will do what is adequate and not waste money on a race with the USA...After all if the west gets too cocky there are plenty of nukes without an arms race toget them...

And what is so admirable about the despicable Bush trying to bankrupt Russia....the USA doesn't own enough of the world without trying to take over Russia....

Hopefully if the USA tries they will be getting nothing more than radioactive land they can't use....

bluewv wrote:

<quoted text> HEY STEFANYA !!!!!!
Would U like to ROCK N ROLL along the lines of LED ZEPPELIN IV (2nd song on disc [or LP album from my days]??
You've got a lot of VOICE, but not much substance behind the rhetoric, eh?????
Let me know if you want to PARTY SOOON, m luv......

Not much substance eh? You are full of it...then why do the people of Russia prefer Vladimir PUtin and Medvedev to the hand-picked namby pamby Boris Yeltsin who sold Russia out to the west? Sorry, but people have differnt values and I never could stand Led Zeppelin nor partying with jerks of your persuasion..

Get your head out of the sand and realize that the wonderful west is not so nice....If the USA and Bush have been pushing to bankrupt a coutnry which doesn't intend to be a carbon copy of the USA then that is not admirable....I see no reason why Russia has to kiss up to the USA...if it was just like the USA where would you get your high culture from... the exellence in the sports and the arts?

And do stuff your partying line crappola where the sun don't shine....You don't get to whore anymore people after trying to banrupt them one way or another....better to be poor and work hard then to trust the west and get screwed on the world market one way or another.....I think people in Russia now understand what the west is all about and prefer to do things their own way, whether the west likes it or not....You'll have to try to bamboozle someone else....

Bairn of Ecgtheow wrote:

<quoted text>
You have associated Bush's policies with the policy that presidents have had for several generations to press democracy on other nations. In the past the US reacted to challenges like World War II by installing or encouraging democratic governance after winning our wars. Since the A-bomb was invented and missiles cut response time to just minutes, simply reacting to threats around the world by declaring war in response to an attack has not been enough. The nature of war has changed. Al Qaeda has proven that. Bush's policies are more aggressive because we are fighting a more insidious enemy, one that is entrenched in attitudes in the Muslim world, attitudes that are clearly in Iraq also.
The comment of mine that you responded to was my opinion, which I have a right to express. Expressing an opinion is not interference in the internal affairs of other nations, unless of course that nation happens to suppress the opinions of their own citizens, in which case perhaps that nation should send their thugs here to the US and beat me up for expressing it.

Absolutely correct...on the matter of opinions...I don't care what you think...you expressed your opinion and I expressed mine...and you can express it all you want but I will never agree.

The USA doesn't have the right to bankrupt other nations nor to encroach on them just becasuse it feels like pushing "democracy" on people....and in my opinion...democracy causes as much pain and suffereing as other forms of government....basically each country should be able to have their form of democracy if they so wish....

...America's democracy has been curtailed by the Patriot ACt in the name of fighting terrorism...
And Russia has had to curtail the democracy a bit in order to keep out foreigners pushing bullcrap ads scaring people into voting for dimwits like Boris Yeltsin who was nothing more than a puppet of the USA to the detriment of the people of Russia as it caused the worst depression ever and caused many ills including death of millions, white slavery and the exodus of people forced to move to survive.

And if the USA is pushing an arms race to bankrupt Russia in order to subjegate it...then it is in the wrong as nowhere is it written that the USA has the right to ruin nations...just at their whim....