Allowing the people to elect someone, removing him, then appointing a puppet will cause much more trouble than simply installing a puppet in the first place.

What a mini-coup might look like.

Good cop leader

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Russia cannot be ruled by democracy, it's too large and diverse. They've always needed a strong pimp hand to keep the Russias in line.

Macular Degenerate: Fail link: Requires login to view, deleting cookies doesn't work.

Had no such issues myself

Russia is by no stretch of the imagination too large and diverse for democracy. Democracy is the solution to size and diversity.

Lego_Addict: I think a Stalin type cleansing is the only solution. Ok bad idea. People need to be put in jail.

nah. that just means the next guys will be more careful about getting away with their corruption by making it legal.

you know. American Style.

Lost Thought 00: Russia cannot be ruled by democracy, it's too large and diverse. They've always needed a strong pimp hand to keep the Russias in line.

Huh. I thought every country should have Democracy.

Why we fight, and all that.

Fart_Machine: [www.picgifs.com image 640x356]

What a mini-coup might look like.

Medvedev last seen casing banks in Italy.

cameroncrazy1984: Lost Thought 00: Russia cannot be ruled by democracy, it's too large and diverse. They've always needed a strong pimp hand to keep the Russias in line.

By contrast, the United States is a tiny, homogenous country off the coast of Canada.

Or, the US cannot be effectively ruled democratically.

Hmm. He may have a point.

Local governors need not be elected, fear will keep the territories in line, fear of Putin.

sendtodave: cameroncrazy1984: Lost Thought 00: Russia cannot be ruled by democracy, it's too large and diverse. They've always needed a strong pimp hand to keep the Russias in line.

By contrast, the United States is a tiny, homogenous country off the coast of Canada.

Or, the US cannot be effectively ruled democratically.

Hmm. He may have a point.

We get it. He's black.

The problem with democracy in Russia is that they have a sample size of one: Boris Yeltsin. From their point of view he was a drunkard who turned the most powerful country on earth into a joke and gave away most of the economy to his drinking buddies. The 90's were Russia's Great Depression. It's going to be a while before ideas like democracy and the free market get rehabilitated. The aforementioned pimp hand works a lot better from their experience.

Imagine if the father of our country was Warren Harding instead of George Washington and you start to get the idea.

Fubini: sendtodave: cameroncrazy1984: Lost Thought 00: Russia cannot be ruled by democracy, it's too large and diverse. They've always needed a strong pimp hand to keep the Russias in line.

By contrast, the United States is a tiny, homogenous country off the coast of Canada.

Or, the US cannot be effectively ruled democratically.

Hmm. He may have a point.

We get it. He's black.

Actually, I was thinking more of the current right wing crazies. And the 20-30% of Americans that support them.

Why are the russians just always so...dickish???

Legit question. Why do they always come off so overbearing and authoritative? Why do their people let them get away with it for decades and decades?

Culture? Climate?

Lego_Addict: In my opinion the politcal turmoil in the country is not related to population diversity. The corruption in the Russian government is the real problem. Even if the Kremlin were to give up most of the direct control it has, the local governments would be even worst. I tihnk Russia still ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, worst than most 3rd World countries.

I think a Stalin type cleansing is the only solution. Ok bad idea. People need to be put in jail.

It's "worse", as in "worse than," or "it could be worse." "Worst" is like "this is the worst sentence I've ever seen," or "this is the worst sandwich I've ever eaten," or "this is the country has the worst corruption rankings."

Medvedev pulls a Mini coup.

Putin pulls a Mack truck.

Who is the strongman?

LemSkroob: Why are the russians just always so...dickish???

Legit question. Why do they always come off so overbearing and authoritative? Why do their people let them get away with it for decades and decades?

Culture? Climate?

Centuries of having a big brother type leader. Its a hard habit to break, Russians got used to an all-knowing, all-powerful leader in the tsarist period, a national mentality that Stalin (among others) used to his advantage. People always seem to forget that while a lot Russians do want change, many others also remember the Soviet times as being fairly decent from a social safety net standpoint. Its also easy to forget that the Communist Party is still one of the biggest parties in the country, and consistently comes in 2nd or 3rd in elections. Hell, there is a KPRF office right next to my apartment building

/time is probably what it will take

Of course Putin's displeased, he's a ragtop man, he likes to go topless

Lego_Addict: Excuse me, I'm a little excited. I don't know how to react. It's my first time being corrected on the Internets.....

The proper response is anger. The proper response on the internet is always anger. It's best if you use a silly picture. That way you don't actually have to think and type out a sentence of your own.

The regional governors now have direct control over their territories.
Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.