Putin appears determined to Godwinize himself...

On the heels of embarassing misunderstandings of the American system, Vladimir Putin (the current, and increasingly dictatorial, Russian president) has announced the formation of -- I kid you not -- the Putin Youth. If you're having flashbacks to a certain moustachioed murderer of millions, well, you're not the only one. It's sad to see Russia moving backwards rather than forwards on the freedom scale, but a move like this may signal Putin's weakness. Then again, it may not.
Even more disturbing:

When two outsiders - one from an opposition party, the other a journalist - sneaked into its founding conference, they were humiliated and one was beaten.
The latest move by the Kremlin to shore up its rule comes after claims that it has been using infiltrators to stir trouble at anti-government rallies, giving the police an excuse to disperse them.

Hat tip to He Who Needs No Hat Tips.

Posted on 2005-03-01 11:53:19.0 by matthew@triggerfinger.org

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