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Ear to the Ground

Putin Is Time’s ‘Person of the Year’

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Posted on Dec 19, 2007
Putin
time.com

Time magazine has decided to celebrate “order before freedom,” as the newsweekly put it, with its “person of the year” selection, because “if Russia succeeds as a nation-state in the family of nations, it will owe much of that success to one man, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.”

Although careful to point out that the title is “not an endorsement” and “Putin is not a boy scout,” Time’s tribute to the Russian leader begins with an ode to his “pale blue eyes,” so it appears that at least some degree of fandom is at work here.

Time:

No one is born with a stare like Vladimir Putin’s. The Russian President’s pale blue eyes are so cool, so devoid of emotion that the stare must have begun as an affect, the gesture of someone who understood that power might be achieved by the suppression of ordinary needs, like blinking. The affect is now seamless, which makes talking to the Russian President not just exhausting but often chilling. It’s a gaze that says, I’m in charge.

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On why it chose Putin:

Russia lives in history—and history lives in Russia. Throughout much of the 20th century, the Soviet Union cast an ominous shadow over the world. It was the U.S.’s dark twin. But after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia receded from the American consciousness as we became mired in our own polarized politics. And it lost its place in the great game of geopolitics, its significance dwarfed not just by the U.S. but also by the rising giants of China and India. That view was always naive. Russia is central to our world—and the new world that is being born. It is the largest country on earth; it shares a 2,600-mile (4,200-km) border with China; it has a significant and restive Islamic population; it has the world’s largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction and a lethal nuclear arsenal; it is the world’s second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia; and it is an indispensable player in whatever happens in the Middle East. For all these reasons, if Russia fails, all bets are off for the 21st century. And if Russia succeeds as a nation-state in the family of nations, it will owe much of that success to one man, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

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By Douglas Chalmers, December 22, 2007 at 4:42 am #
(2932 comments total)

#121803 by FilthyCherry on 12/21:

#121803 by FilthyCherry on 12/21: “Time liked Hitler too.  I’d say this is more of a statement about Time Magazine than Putin.  You can argue his merits forever but it’s what does an article like that say about TIME...?”

Hitler was said to be a nice guy by those who knew him personally, FC. A genial host, etc etc. So too re George Bush.......

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By FilthyCherry, December 21, 2007 at 9:10 pm #
(9 comments total)

Time liked Hitler too.

Time liked Hitler too.  I’d say this is more of a statement about Time Magazine than Putin.  You can argue his merits forever but it’s what does an article like that say about TIME?

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By Gabir, December 21, 2007 at 5:49 pm #
(84 comments total)

Whether people like Putin or

Whether people like Putin or not , he is the single most powerful person in the world at this point in World History .
Whether people like Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin or hate him , he is our best deterent against an American or Israeli attack on Iran .

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By FilthyCherry, December 21, 2007 at 12:44 pm #
(9 comments total)

When I read that David

When I read that David Rockefeller thanked the large media outlets for their secrecy towards the agenda of a one world government, and I read that the CIA has owned the media for over 50 years, I was incredulous.  Now I’m not anymore.

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By Howard, December 20, 2007 at 1:33 pm #
(466 comments total)

EASY, NON CREDO, Didn't

EASY, NON CREDO,

Didn’t your mom tell you that if you can’t say anything nice about somebody, don’t say anything at all?

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 12:56 pm #
(1145 comments total)

Howard, who fantastically claims that he’s never heard of AIPAC, brags that he only quotes “quality writers” (and the vicious liar and torture advocate Alan Dershowitz is one of those, by the way).

But — “quality writers”?

Isn’t that curiously merchandizing language? Actual readers of any seriousness do not refer to “quality writers”. He sounds like a furniture dealer.

Can’t we imagine Howard teaching a literature course?

“Welcome, students.

“Here you will study only quality writers - the classiest poetry, the most prestigious prose, only the best.

“And not only that, I will show you how you can get it wholesale.

“Just look at the upholstering on this top-grade volume of Shakespeare (who was Jewish, by the way, not many people know that). That’s REAL velvet, and guaranteed gen-you-wine gold leaf....”

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 12:44 pm #
(1145 comments total)

re: #121545 by RIRedinPA on

re: #121545 by RIRedinPA on 12/20 at 11:47 am

What’s so awful about Mohammed Mosadegh? He was the democratically elected, democratic socialist president of Iran, who was violently overthrown through US and British connivance because he was planning nationalize Iran’s oil wealth and use that wealth to benefit the Iranian people. He was replaced by the Shah, whose notoriously vicious secret police were partly trained by Israel’s goons.

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 12:04 pm #
(1145 comments total)

#121534 by Howard on 12/20

#121534 by Howard on 12/20 at 10:55 am:

Howard, who is demonstrably obsessed with defending Israel, claims never to have heard of AIPAC.

Howard, who also claims to have read the Mearsheimer and Walt book on the Israel lobby, says he has never heard of AIPAC.

I think we can all dispense right now with any notion that Howard has the slightest shred of credibility.

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By RIRedinPA, December 20, 2007 at 11:50 am #
(14 comments total)

Everybody wringing their hands in

Everybody wringing their hands in angst over the selection needs to relax a bit. The Man of the Year (or Person) is not the Noble Peace prize or whoever acted like Mother Theresa for that year, or who Americans like, it is (suppose to be) whoever had a profound effect on the world for the past year. In that view Time has rediscovered it’s balls as in 2001 they completely caved to running a popularity contest and giving it to Guliani as opposed to awarding it to the person who did have that affect - Osama bin Laden. Guliani helped New York through the crisis and ergo America, he did not have a profound effect on the rest of the world.

Anointing someone MOTY does not necessarily deem an endorsement of that person or their actions and in fact can serve, with a brave enough editor, as a means to detract those actions. It’s not the Nobel Peace prize.

Does Putin deserve it? He’s changed Russia from a fledgling democracy to an oligarchy and placed it back as a prominent player in world affairs. His confrontational style with the US and Russia’s control of the flow of oil and natural gas to Europe as well as their interference in the flow of oil out of Central Asia will have a profound influence on the geopolitical situation across not just Europe but the globe. One could easily envision the Cold War raising it’s ugly head from the grave. As head of the Russian nation and architect of this change Putin certainly quantifies under the requirement of who has had a profound effect on the world.

Other persons of the year who had profound effects but will not be winning any humanity awards:

Corazon Aquino - 1986
Diang Xioaping - 1985
Ayatollah Khomenei - 1979
Saudi Prince Faisal - 1974
Mohammed Mosadegh - 1951
Joseph Stalin - 1942, 1939
Adolph Hitler - 1938

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By RIRedinPA, December 20, 2007 at 11:47 am #
(14 comments total)

Everybody wringing their hands in

Everybody wringing their hands in angst over the selection needs to relax a bit. The Man of the Year (or Person) is not the Noble Peace prize or whoever acted like Mother Theresa for that year, or who Americans like, it is (suppose to be) whoever had a profound effect on the world for the past year. In that view Time has rediscovered it’s balls as in 2001 they completely caved to running a popularity contest and giving it to Guliani as opposed to awarding it to the person who did have that affect - Osama bin Laden. Guliani helped New York, and ergo America, through the crisis, he did not have a profound effect on the rest of the world.

Anointing someone POTY does not necessarily deem an endorsement of that person or their actions and in fact can serve, with a brave enough editor, as a means to detract those actions. And one should stop trying to read that into the selection.

Does Putin deserve it? He’s changed Russia from a fledgling democracy to an oligarchy and placed it back as a prominent player in world affairs. His confrontational style with the US and Russia’s control of the flow of oil and natural gas to Europe as well as their interference in the flow of oil out of Central Asia will have a profound influence on the geopolitical situation across not just Europe but the globe. One could easily envision the Cold War raising it’s ugly head from the grave. As head of the Russian nation and architect of this change Putin certainly quantifies under the requirement of who has had a profound effect on the world.

Other persons of the year who had profound effects but will not be winning any humanity awards:

Corazon Aquino - 1986
Diang Xioaping - 1985
Ayatollah Khomenei - 1979
Saudi Prince Faisal - 1974
Mohammed Mosadegh - 1951
Joseph Stalin - 1942, 1939
Adolph Hitler - 1938

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 11:29 am #
(1145 comments total)

#121534 by Howard on 12/20

#121534 by Howard on 12/20 at 10:55 am:

Garbage.

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By Howard, December 20, 2007 at 10:55 am #
(466 comments total)

RE: #121477 by Non

RE:  #121477 by Non Credo on 12/20 at 6:26 am
=======================

Easy, NC; get control of yourelf. I never tell anyone to shut up; least you who at least is at least conversant.

And as to who AIPIC is , let me knows ‘cause I don’t quote them or web pages like most here; but quality writers in prominent papers like the Washington Post,
LA TIMES, New York times, Reuters, etc.

P.S.  I’m glad you think I’m informing people.  Just like you. !  thx

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 10:27 am #
(1145 comments total)

re: #121510 by desertdude on

re: #121510 by desertdude on 12/20 at 8:38 am:

If this comment were any shallower, it would vanish altogether.

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By weather, December 20, 2007 at 10:19 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Who actually controls Lukoil?Is it

Who actually controls Lukoil?

Is it the Russian/Israeli/Brooklyn crowd?

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By lawlessone, December 20, 2007 at 10:18 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

How wonderfully self serving.

How wonderfully self serving.  The same magazine that helped put our own American dictator in power and keep him there is seeking to rationalize its own malfeasance by loudly touting the re-installation of dictatorship in Russia.  This should be a “time out” for Time.

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By desertdude, December 20, 2007 at 8:38 am #
(96 comments total)

Just think Putin is right

Just think Putin is right up there with Hitler. He
was Times man of the year for 1939.

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By jatihoon, December 20, 2007 at 8:33 am #
(147 comments total)

Putin, has put in his

Putin, has put in his time, in organizing modern vibrant Russia.

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 7:40 am #
(1145 comments total)

Paolo writes”

“The nitwit Bush administration, instead of seeing a potential ally who needs a hand up, has tried encircling Russia by having Russia’s former satellites join NATO. Furthermore, the CIA has meddled shamelessly in several elections in the former Soviet Republics.”

As usual with Paolo’s postings, there is nothing to add but one’s agreement.

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 7:05 am #
(1145 comments total)

regarding #121450 by PatrickHenry on 12/20 at 3:16 am:

In #121403, Howard wrote: “I’m no zealot for Israel, as I can take either side”

— to which Patrick Henry replies: “Wow, you floored me with that one....”
-------------------------------

Yeah, Pat.

Sometimes one just can’t believe that Howard believes that anyone could believe that he might seriously believe that we will believe some of the things that he says.

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By Non Credo, December 20, 2007 at 6:26 am #
(1145 comments total)

from #121403 by Howard on 12/19 at 8:10 pm:

“Do note that I DID NOT BRING THE TOPIC UP...”
-----------

Of course you didn’t bring it up, Howard! It is certainly not to your advantage to call attention to Israel’s unsavory connections to the Russian oligarchs who looted the former Soviet Union.

But notice, Howard, that you had nothing to say on this thread UNTIL Israel was mentioned. That’s your pattern. You police all the Truthdig articles, looking for unflattering mention of Israel. If Israel doesn’t come up, either in the article or in someone’s comments, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. It’s patently obvious that you don’t care about anything but that.

We never hear from you unless the article is directly about Israel, OR someone makes a comment mentioning Israel. Then you swoop with your cut and pasted AIPAC propaganda — or you simply tell people to shut up.

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By Douglas Chalmers, December 20, 2007 at 5:24 am #
(2932 comments total)

Choosing Order Before Freedom...... What gets Putin agitated ......is his perception that Americans are out to interfere in Russia’s affairs. He says he wants Russia and America to be partners but feels the U.S. treats Russia like the uninvited guest at a party. “We want to be a friend of America,"… “Sometimes we get the impression that America does not need friends” but only “auxiliary subjects to command."..."

Before we criticize “order”, we should remember that Russia has about a dozen countries on its borders and an ethnic mix of its citizens ranging from Asian to European.

Neither is “freedom” the converse of order. And what the USA has is not really freedom but petty “free will”. There is a world of difference - do you want me to explain?

In fact, “chaos” is the obverse of order. Sadly, that is where the USA is headed. You know the reasons. Free will is ultimately slavery. Do you want that explained too?

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By PatrickHenry, December 20, 2007 at 3:16 am #
(1114 comments total)

#121403 by Howard

“I’m no zealot for Israel, as I can take either side;”

Wow, you floored me with that one.

Someone pass me the smelling salts.

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By GW=MCHammered, December 19, 2007 at 10:31 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Contrary to blue blood celebrity-making isms, humble hard beginnings.

wiki>Vladimir Putin

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By lodipete, December 19, 2007 at 9:04 pm #
(83 comments total)

Nothing like a resurgent Russia and a Chinese awakening to scare the shit out of the oligarchs and new world order globalists. There’s a “new axis of evil” in town and I love it.

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By rowdy, December 19, 2007 at 8:59 pm #
(300 comments total)

GOVERNOR ROMNEY: Isn’t that something. So a good dictator—A good dictator that imprisons or murders political and media opponents and therefore brings stability, I mean, there’s nothing like the stability that martial law provides or dictatorship provides.

mitt must be talking about bush,right?

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By Howard, December 19, 2007 at 8:10 pm #
(466 comments total)

Re: post by #121388 by Non Credo on 12/19 at 6:44 pm
============================

Do note that I DID NOT BRING THE TOPIC UP, of Israel etc. on this page.  But Patrick did !  and On ad infinatum on reports wherein it is not relevant or needed for discusion.  (Not like you, I realize.)

That is what I was pointing out only.  I’m no zealot for Israel, as I can take either side; but no slack whatsoever from those who are adamantly nuts about maligning a little tiny country whose power is blown out of all proportions.

I’ll take a democratic underdog anytime.

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By Non Credo, December 19, 2007 at 6:44 pm #
(1145 comments total)

#121377 by Howard on 12/19 at 6:25 pm:

Howie, since Israel’s zealots, like you, are so obsessive, the only way to counter your harmful efforts to misinform and manipulate our country for Israel’s benefit is for us to fight you with equal obsessiveness. We will “give it a rest” if and when when you pro-Israel monomaniacs “give it a rest”.

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By PatrickHenry, December 19, 2007 at 6:43 pm #
(1114 comments total)

#121377 by Howard

I don’t know if you’ve read Pravda or Tass english language editions but I find them refreshing as they put a new light on world events than the news presented by the U.S. news media.

Who do you think owns the majority of U.S. media and where does their loyalties lie.

http://www.natvan.com/who-rules-america/

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By Paolo, December 19, 2007 at 6:28 pm #
(286 comments total)

Putin may end up being a pretty good ruler, despite his KGB background.

He’s certainly got a tough job. Russia was first ruined by the communists. Then, they tossed out the communists and had all the state-run businesses sold off to the Russian mob.

Basically, Russia has been screwed, over and over again, for the better part of a century.

The nitwit Bush administration, instead of seeing a potential ally who needs a hand up, has tried encircling Russia by having Russia’s former satellites join NATO. Furthermore, the CIA has meddled shamelessly in several elections in the former Soviet Republics.

Nice going, George. You’ve managed to destroy a potential friendship before it got started.

Now Russia is going to ally itself with Iran. Who could blame them? It would have been easy for a sensible administration to open cordial, friendly relations with both Iran and Russia, but George managed to screw that one up.

How easy it would be to have open, friendly trade relationships with Russia and Iran, who desperately need our technology!

We need to learn to “trade, not invade.”

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By Howard, December 19, 2007 at 6:25 pm #
(466 comments total)

RE:  post by #121371 by PatrickHenry on 12/19 at 5:51 pm
(466 comments total)

Putin has to contend with the Bush and all those Jewish ogliarchs he kicked out of the country when they tried to control Russia as they do America.

He’s really turned Russia around and deserves some credit.

===========================

Give it a rest, man; here’s another essay/report that has absolutely nothing to do with your agenda. But sure as the sun rises, you have to go after either Israel or the “ Jewish ogliarchs” in this instance.

Praising Putin is at least on the topic.  Though that characterizes your world view pretty well.

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By PatrickHenry, December 19, 2007 at 5:51 pm #
(1114 comments total)

Putin has to contend with the Bush and all those Jewish ogliarchs he kicked out of the country when they tried to control Russia as they do America.

He’s really turned Russia around and deserves some credit.

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By Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, December 19, 2007 at 5:06 pm #
(564 comments total)

I wish I knew why People Mag and Time keep overlooking me.  I work hard.  I contribute.  I have a four-pack, maybe five.  Women find me, shall we say, tolerable.  I don’t force my agenda.  I help.  I try to take care of my health.  I pay my taxes. I don’t hit anyone.  I patronize small businesses.  I’m kind to animals.  I keep money in circulation.  I keep my property up.  I don’t annoy neighbors. 

What the hell is a person supposed to do to get a little recognition around here?  All you ever hear about is Bush and Putin and Brittney and Matt Damon and the Pope and the candidates and their haircuts.  Sports stars and their juice.  What about me?  ME, ME, ME?????

TB, I vote for you as Man of the Year.  You’re 10x any of them!

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By Non Credo, December 19, 2007 at 5:02 pm #
(1145 comments total)

Putin has every right to be pissed off at the US.

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By Thomas Billis, December 19, 2007 at 2:24 pm #
(238 comments total)

Who gives a shit!

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