A Despot By Any Other Name

So after all, Vladimir Putin is nothing less than a vicious dictator. Surprise, surprise. No surprise. He brooks no dissent, finds it expeditious to his larger purpose to commit state murder like that other, unlamented father of his country, Joseph Stalin. The scale is different, the scope has been considerably reduced thanks to his more immediate predecessors, but the mindset, purpose and intent are all there. To successfully rule Mother Russia one must rule with an iron hand. This is, after all, the modus operandi that most Russians are themselves most familiar with, most agreeable toward, most comfortable with.

A proponent of social democracy he most certainly is not. Although he seems to feel "Russian-style democracy" is just fine, thank you very much. Alas, democracy Russian-style is not the kind of democracy recognized by the west, although it appears to suit the greater balance of Russian citizenry well. As one colleague to another, one head of state to another, one country at peace with the other, President Putin has called upon his British counterpart to render the billionaire expatriate Boris Berezovsky into official Russian hands.

For there most certainly does exist within and without Russia, many who would contest Mr. Putin's executive rule of the country, whose intent it is to re-introduce Russia to a system of governance more closely aligned with true democracy. Oh yes, there are other detractors of the current Russian state and its president, those who still mourn the passing of official communism in fond retrospection. But Mr. Berezovsky and Garry Kasparov and even the former prime minister of Russia, Mikhail Kasyanov are committed to the ideal of a true democracy for their country.

Mr. Putin has his own way of dealing with internal dissent, as he has with the stealth of those seeking to undermine his authority and the corrupt administration of Russia's affairs. Poison, radiation-contaminated substances ingested or administered, outright public shooting, any and all means required to ensure the stability of his reign. Investigative reporters who feel they can reveal the substance of illegal, immoral and deadly acts performed by state actors don't last very long in this Russia, nor do former state functionaries seeking to unseat Mr. Putin.

In his decision-making and official declarations, along with the persecution of those whose political and social prestige offer the opportunity to utter condemnatory fulminations against him - posing threats to his longevity however remote - his dictatorial behaviors bring to mind those of the irrationally geriatric leader of Zimbabwe. President Putin and his Kremlin buddies threaten police violence to be visited upon those taking part in demonstrations against his rule. Marches and demonstrations are banned, there is no official recognition given to opposition parties; their leaders and followers are rounded up and imprisoned.

All of which acts appear to do little to diminish the huge popularity within Russia enjoyed by President Putin, beloved of his people who cling to the man refusing to acknowledge let alone believe he is capable of doing wrong. His current position of state and popular dominance render him virtually invincible. His rule is so obviously exactly what Russians appear to wish for themselves. His governance is anti-constitutional; he has it in his power, given his wild approval ratings to extend for himself the privilege of vying for the popular vote a third time as president.

"It isn't possible to change this regime through democratic means. There can be no change without force, pressure." This assertion through the British media by Boris Berezovsky is quite the admission. If a country is content with its charming despot irrespective of the human rights crimes on his hands, how right is it to overthrow the current government to replace it with one which recognizes the rule of law which has been usurped to bring it in?