13 September 2013
You will never read a finer piece of English in your life than this.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Vladimir Putin is a corrupt, evil man, whose presidency has been categorised not by the endless macho photo-ops, but by the wave of repression and corruption that permeate every level of society in Russia.
As a result of Putin's greed and corruption, Russia is the fastest-shrinking population on the planet. People do not want to live there any more, and if they couldn't leave during Soviet rule, nothing stops them now and they are leaving in their millions.
Being stupid, however, is not one of Mad Vlad's faults, and he clearly employs some very smart people. One of this in unquestionably the person who wrote the article. I don't agree with everything it says, but the central tenet of the story is absolutely correct.
It will also help create Putin's goal of recognition as a world statesman of real gravitas.
Here is the NYT's explanation behind the story, in case you wondered, like me, whether it was real.
Copyright © Alan Charman