Dmitry Medvedev (left) and Vladimir Putin
Photo: www.boston.com
If we had a responsible media they would be covering the Russian elections that are happening today.
If the media was smart they would analyze what the inevitable election of Dmitry Medvedev means for the world and Russian-American relations.
But since we don't have that you'll have to settle for my slightly drunk analysis.
Dmitry Medvedev is 42 and is Vladimir Putin's protege. He was chosen by Putin to succeed him as president of Russia after serving as First Deputy Prime Minister under Putin.
When Medvedev is elected President (and believe me he will be) he will be an unknown quantity. There is plenty of speculation about what changes he might bring or not but either way he will be the head of a resurgent Russia that sill wields considerable power through it's energy resources.
I think too many Americans think of Russia as a spent power. We kicked their asses in the Cold War and the last most people have thought of them was maybe back in the 90s when Russia was going through a period of radical economic change.
People may know of Putin and some of the horrible things he's accused of having done but I think he's just seen as one man playing dictator.
Putin transformed Russia from the corrupt oligarchy of the 90s to the much more stable although much less free Russia of today that is keen on reasserting itself through it's own power but also through teaming up with up and coming powers like China.
The media has done us a disservice by not reporting about these two men and their country at length but below are some links that are a good place to start.
1. The BBC on the elections today
2. Individual Russian reactions also from the BBC
3. There is some concern that Medvedev is Putin's puppet
4. A report on Gazprom the state controlled Russian energy giant and the Ukraine (BBC again)
5. A report from OpenDemocracy.com on murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian Press and the speculation of Putin's involvement in her murder
And yes the fact that all of my links are from Britian is a fucking disgrace.
If the media was smart they would analyze what the inevitable election of Dmitry Medvedev means for the world and Russian-American relations.
But since we don't have that you'll have to settle for my slightly drunk analysis.
Dmitry Medvedev is 42 and is Vladimir Putin's protege. He was chosen by Putin to succeed him as president of Russia after serving as First Deputy Prime Minister under Putin.
When Medvedev is elected President (and believe me he will be) he will be an unknown quantity. There is plenty of speculation about what changes he might bring or not but either way he will be the head of a resurgent Russia that sill wields considerable power through it's energy resources.
I think too many Americans think of Russia as a spent power. We kicked their asses in the Cold War and the last most people have thought of them was maybe back in the 90s when Russia was going through a period of radical economic change.
People may know of Putin and some of the horrible things he's accused of having done but I think he's just seen as one man playing dictator.
Putin transformed Russia from the corrupt oligarchy of the 90s to the much more stable although much less free Russia of today that is keen on reasserting itself through it's own power but also through teaming up with up and coming powers like China.
The media has done us a disservice by not reporting about these two men and their country at length but below are some links that are a good place to start.
1. The BBC on the elections today
2. Individual Russian reactions also from the BBC
3. There is some concern that Medvedev is Putin's puppet
4. A report on Gazprom the state controlled Russian energy giant and the Ukraine (BBC again)
5. A report from OpenDemocracy.com on murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian Press and the speculation of Putin's involvement in her murder
And yes the fact that all of my links are from Britian is a fucking disgrace.
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