Time Names Putin ‘Person of the Year’
AP
Posted: 2007-12-19 09:48:57
NEW YORK (Dec. 19) — Time magazine on Wednesday named Russian President Vladimir Putin its 2007 “Person of the Year.”The nod went to the Russian leader because of Putin’s “extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability,” said Richard Stengel, Time’s managing editor.
Putin, 55, is enormously popular in Russia, presiding over a resurgent economy flush with revenue from oil and natural gas. But critics say he has moved the country away from Russia’s democratic reforms of the 1990s by tightening control of the media, courts and parliament.
“He’s the new czar of Russia and he’s dangerous in the sense that he doesn’t care about civil liberties, he doesn’t care about free speech,” Stengel said.
Putin recently endorsed protoge Dmitry Medvedev’s presidential bid, and later said he would accept Medvedev’s offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected in the March 2 election.
Many believe Putin would remain Russia’s real leader, regardless of his title, though Putin has said he would not undermine his successor. The Russian constitution limits presidents to two consecutive terms.
Here is the full story.
So does this mean that Kasparov is only jealous of Putin’s success?
No, it means that Kasparov disagrees with the methods Putin uses to stabilize the country.
Hitler also stabilized Germany. But then… (I am not comparing Hitler with Putin here, ok?)
Oh, and a recent poll made by the independent Russian TV station WPW (what Putin wants) shows that 137% of the Russians would vote for Putin a 3rd time, while the remaining -37% prefer the opposition leader.
This shows Putin gets less popular in russia because the poll is 24% below the result Putin got the last election.
😉
This is an early April Fools joke, right?
Polls. Independent Russian TV stations. Uh, ok.
137% ? LOL
well, he deserves it.
I believe Putin is a dictator and a very dangerous person. Of all the billions of people on this earth and Time Magazine picks Putin? Unbelievable.
Please cancel my subscriptions to TIME Magazine immediately!!
cause you don’t know and don’t want to know. you believe and it’s enough for you. u have already formed my opinion and don’t want to mess up with the facts
btw it doesn’t mean that time mag or people who picked him approve or agree etc. stalin was a real dictator but was chosen a person the year twice – and for a reason
This is an ABOMINATION! If rising to power at the cost of freedom is laudable, then Hitler should have been “Man of the 20th Century”.
You mean Time Magazine is still around? They’ve pulled this kind of stunt for years — naming Adolph Hitler and Stalin as two of their previous winners. It’s all in the name of hyping it up to try and save lagging magazine subscriptions. And rightfully so. When’s the last time you even THOUGHT of “Time” magazine? They’re such a non-issue anymore, it doesn’t even matter…
Before it gets much further, it should be understood that by “Man of the Year”, the original publishers of TIME meant the person who had the greatest impact on the news in the past year – which is why guys like Stalin and Hitler all have won. It isn’t some type of “Gee he’s a nice guy” award and if people would do a little reading on the TIME site and not flip their lid they would understand this – there have been many figures which have evoked a lot of controversy who have been named but all have been dominant newsmakers.
Like him or not, Putin certainly has control of Russia and will have this control in the forseeable future. Because of Russia’s geographical location (from Eurasia to East Asia, arctic circle), its historical interests (Slavic ties to southeastern europe), its natural resources (oil, natural gas, diamonds, gold, heavy metals) and its numerous issues (human rights, getting along with neighbors) he’ll have an effect which ripples out over the whole world, so you might as well get used to having him around.
Here is their “reasoning,” if you want to call it that:
he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is TIME’s 2007 Person of the Year.
This seems a silly and unconvincing reason to give Putin this “award.” The Soviet Union had plenty of “stability” for a long time. And if you want a successful leader in 2007, you wouldn’t think of Putin.
But I am happy whenever Time gives their “award” (because that is how everyone views it) to a skunk like Putin because it means more and more people develop a negative opinion of Time. Their circulation figures decline every year.
I think the argument that Time chooses this award for the person with the most ‘impact’ is flawed. Time chooses what it feels will generate the most controversy (hence, this entire blog) and will also get people talking about their rag of a magazine. That’s all they care about. They knew they could get people riled up if they named Putin the “Person of the Year,” in particular at at time when he’s being criticized for aiding Iran in their nuclear ambitions. That’s the ONLY reason they chose him. To get people talking about their rag of a magazine, even in a negative light. The real idiots are the ones who actually think it’s a legitimate award…
“I’m going to play 1.e4! and make my opponent give me Pawn and move. No 1.g4 nonsense for me!”
Oh wait, this isn’t a provide-a-caption item… 🙂
could someone explain ( with facts ) why putin is a ” dictator ” ??? i am young, and would like to understand
Well, TIME named Stalin twice, so I guess Stalin’s heir can get one, too.
no surprise from a magazine that has been pro communism and anti American every second of itrs existense
So is it all over for kasparov?
Time for another retirement perhaps, this time from politics.
Looks like Anand will have his wish fulfilled.
Why is he a dictator? Well, for one thing he has complete control over the media. And not only that but at least one reporter turned up dead. I would say that’s complete control all right. And then there was the poisoned Russian in England and it was traced right back to Russia. Did you notice Russia didn’t turn over the suspect to Britain?
And then there is this last election where employees have to vote while their bosses watch them. Intimidation? Is that Democracy? And I’m sure there are many other examples.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
russia/article/
0,,2230924,00.html
Putin person of the year but thief of the century!
See if this link works about Putin’s wealth.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2230924,00.html
One more time: here