Vladimir Putin strikes a macho pose ...

[Muddy]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6738969.ece

[Faux Pas]

WTF?

[ECOCKS]

Puty on vacation. Next he'll be reading stories to little Russian orphans and consoling widows of mine workers killed in the latest cave-in.

I wonder if he got a referral from Obama on a good PR flack to set this stuff up for him?

[MatryoshkaMan]

Too bad he's 4'9" tall otherwise he could have stared in one of those super cheesy Russian crime-boss movies..

[kievstar]

Putin maybe short but he does have world class judo skills and could kick the .... out of most men here.  Helio Gracie was short too but no one could ever beat him in a no holds bar fight.  Helio even beat the crap out of Bruce Lee.

[Doll]

Too bad he's 4'9" tall otherwise he could have stared in one of those super cheesy Russian crime-boss movies..

Putin is 170 cm

[SANDRO43]

Putin maybe short but he does have world class judo skills and could kick the .... out of most men here. 

However, the photo with the horse shows his pectorals getting flabby .

[GQBlues]

Helio even beat the crap out of Bruce Lee.

Helio was born 1913 and Bruce Lee was born in the '40s. At Lee's peak, Helio would've been 40-50. Where did you get this information from as many contemplated what the result would've been had they met at their peak.

I know Helio got his booty done by Japanese Kimura in Brazil in front of the Brailian president, but didn't know Bruce Lee actually fought him too.

[acrzybear]

Weren't photos released of Putin showing his vitality about the same time as Russia went into Georgia?  And now Russia is massing troops at the border and Russian subs have been confirmed by the Russian military establishment as patrolling just off the Eastern seaboard.  Things that make you go hmmmmm.

[kievstar]

Helio Gracie died in 2009.  Hélio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009).  You will have to go train at their gym they have in Rio Brazil and they will tell you about it.  Bruce Lee used to go there as well.  I never saw photos of the fight but there are photos in the gym of Bruce Lee being there.  Helio lost several times to other fighters but never in an official registered fight.  However many fights back than were not official.  Helio's son Rickson is a good fighter.  Helio weighed around 100 pounds.  He would get killed by todays fighters who have developed a lot more skills and now size is important with skill.

I went to that gym and trained when I lived in Brazil about 10 years ago.  If your into fighting mixed martial arts, there is still good instructors there but most of the family has moved to USA. 

[Ronnie]

1) 170 cm = 5' 7"

Bush is 5' 11"



2) I just assumed the "horse" was of the Shetland variety.



3) Yes, Bear, he will invade Georgia again.  I think there is no person on the face of the planet today who embodies evil more than Vladimir Vladimirovich.  The "evil empire" has not gone away, it has merely been pruned back.  Like Reagan, I don't imply that the Russian people are evil.  If a nation's people were considered as evil as their current leaders, then we would, nearly all of us, be horrific souls.

[Sculpto]

you forgot GW Bush.. makes Putin look like an innocent.

[NJ]

Yes, Bear, he will invade Georgia again.  I think there is no person on the face of the planet today who embodies evil more than Vladimir Vladimirovich.  The "evil empire" has not gone away, it has merely been pruned back.  Like Reagan, I don't imply that the Russian people are evil.  If a nation's people were considered as evil as their current leaders, then we would, nearly all of us, be horrific souls

It is not "evil empire" that keeps a military block close to the country against which it was created. It is not "evil impire" that braked the promise to move NATO close to Russian borders. It is not "evil impire" that sponsored freak Saakashvili with weapons to attack peaceful citizens of Tshinvali. It is not "evil impire" that first separated a part of Serbia. It is not an "evil impire" that bombed Yugoslavia. It is not "evil impire that currently killing hundreds of people in Iraq ans Afghanistan. And it is not "evil impire" that was the only country that used a nuclear bomb. Twice.

[Muddy]

You have to forgive people who dont realize Ronald McDonald was just an actor, and had 200 advisors who pulled his strings and prepared his speeches, ... and the evil empire crap.

[Ronnie]

But then again, while most people are good and kind, our lack of vigilance and our cowardice to stand up against evil makes us all complicit and taints our innocence. 

Who stood up to Mussolini's fascist camicie nere?  Who stood up against Third Reich's sturmabteilung aka brown shirts? Lenin's Cheka's red terror?  Stalins's purges?  The Gulags? Iran's tyrannical ayatollah's?  I could go on. 

America today is facing down, for the first time in her history, a tyrannical regime.  Thank God our soldiers take an oath "to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC."

[Sculpto]

But then again, while most people are good and kind, our lack of vigilance and our cowardice to stand up against evil makes us all complicit and taints our innocence. 

Who stood up to Mussolini's fascist camicie nere?  Who stood up against Third Reich's sturmabteilung aka brown shirts? Lenin's Cheka's red terror?  Stalins's purges?  The Gulags? Iran's tyrannical ayatollah's?  I could go on. 

America today is facing down, for the first time in her history, a tyrannical regime.  Thank God our soldiers take an oath "to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC."

Yeah.. the only real domestic threat comes from the right wing, white supremacist groups and other psychotics that agree with your warped and paranoid view of the world.  You really need to get a clue.

[SANDRO43]

Who stood up to Mussolini's fascist camicie nere?  Who stood up against Third Reich's sturmabteilung aka brown shirts? Lenin's Cheka's red terror?  Stalins's purges?  The Gulags? Iran's tyrannical ayatollah's?  I could go on. 

America today is facing down, for the first time in her history, a tyrannical regime.

I must have missed some significant US news items recently - but that's probably due to the notoriously Communist-infested US media .

Are hordes of black people marching on Washington, smashing white-owned shops and having their owners wear white armbands, in preparation to marching them over to Gitmo while forced to chant praises of Allah ?

[Sculpto]

I must have missed some significant US news items recently - but that's probably due to the notoriously Communist-infested US media .

Are hordes of black people marching on Washington, smashing white-owned shops and having their owners wear white armbands, in preparation to marching them over to Gitmo while forced to chant praises of Allah ?

Sandro.. you just have to have sympathy and even a little pity for poor misguided Ronnie.  And I apologize to the rest of the world for the good people of America who have to put up with the hate that such characters as Ronnie inspire in those who might be our friends if not for the out of touch with reality drivel such people spew.

[NJ]

Ronnie,
No doubt that America did many good things. As well as many bad things. As all countries in the world including Russia. I just think this is too naive to excuse all the things the USA does and ever have done by the "war for democracy".

As for Vladimir Putin, for 10 years he is supported by more then a half citizens of Russia. The only reason for this is that he really stands for the interests of Russia. And whatever others say as long as he is able to defand the interests of Russia he will remain a person with the highest political influence.

It is very ok that Americans don't like some actions of Russian politics. And it's very ok that we don't like some things American leaders say and do. But still I think it is unacceptable not to take in account that other countries may have different point of view and a different approach to the same things then your country has.    

[BC]

But then again, while most people are good and kind, our lack of vigilance and our cowardice to stand up against evil makes us all complicit and taints our innocence.  

Who stood up to Mussolini's fascist camicie nere?  Who stood up against Third Reich's sturmabteilung aka brown shirts? Lenin's Cheka's red terror?  Stalins's purges?  The Gulags? Iran's tyrannical ayatollah's?  I could go on.  

America today is facing down, for the first time in her history, a tyrannical regime.  Thank God our soldiers take an oath "to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC."

And thus was born the National Guard.. now heavily delegated to fighting overseas..

Don't bring up Mussolini and Hitler again.. that's also a long story best discussed elsewhere.  Remember the US was rather 'neutral' during the long build up period..  Timely intervention might possibly have avoided much of WWII carnage and probably would not have necessitated use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction..  As I see it, pretty much the reaction from being put between a rock and a hard place, and not more noble endeavours.

That things turned out as they did was used for PR purposes.. a few more missteps and there may well have been very different results.

Peace my friend..

[Ronnie]

Sandro, Americans are not divided by the amount of pigment in their skin as you and others seem hell-bent on persisting.  America is divided between those who insist that America follow the constitution our highest law, and those who want one-party rule, centralized government in Washington DC and yes, a new-Marxism which will give that central government complete control over property and the means of production.

What you have missed in the news is this:

The Obama Administration has set up a snitch line where those who oppose the government takeover of our healthcare system should be turned in at flag@whitehouse.gov so that an list can be built and dissent be dealt with.  (I already turned myself in):

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/obama-new-health-2521528-gov-whitehouse

This man who wanted America to sit down have have a discussion is now saying something quite the opposite.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dyY3Y9vxR0&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch%3Fhl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1C1CHNU_enUS337US337%26um%3D1%26q%3Dobama%2520clean%2520up%2520mess%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN%26tab%3Dw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Senate Leader Harry Reid has referred to citizens as smelly
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1LRB-SpHrM[/youtube]

And our Speaker of the House and Senator Boxer both subpar intellects from San Francisco want you to believe that American citizens have become Nazi's (read racists) who only want to hurt our (black) president.  Oh and we're funded by big corporations, too...
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzonGRCGJ_Q&feature=related[/youtube]

I have never, in my 60 years of life, seen America coming under such attack by our political leaders.  They are spending us into bankruptcy and stomping on our constitution.

On September 12th there will be a march on Washington DC, by Americans of all colors and creeds want to voice our opposition against this headlong rush toward totalitarianism on our own soil.   

[Ronnie]

And thus was born the National Guard.. now heavily delegated to fighting overseas..

Don't bring up Mussolini and Hitler again.. that's also a long story best discussed elsewhere.  Remember the US was rather 'neutral' during the long build up period..  Timely intervention might possibly have avoided much of WWII carnage and probably would not have necessitated use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction..  As I see it, pretty much the reaction from being put between a rock and a hard place, and not more noble endeavours.

That things turned out as they did was used for PR purposes.. a few more missteps and there may well have been very different results.

Peace my friend..

BC,

Are you not understanding what I wrote?  Who will intervene for America, when our beloved leader has opened gulags?  When his brown shirts crack heads and drag citizens off to internment camps for dissenters?

This is not about dredging up academic arguments.  This is about learning from history because this is what is beginning to happen in America (and Russia) today.  And, if successful, will spread worldwide without resistance.

Italy and Germany could have, but did not stop the rush toward totalitarianism. This must not be permitted to happen in America, nor in Russia.  First we need to rid ourselves of this kind of idol worship..


[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK2TRSprLII[/youtube]

[Sculpto]

Specious hyperbole, misinformation, lies and obfuscation.  Ronnie.  Just be quiet already.  Those in the center and left put up with eight years of your great leader stealing elections, lies to start a massive war, the theft of billions of dollars by his cronies at Haliburton etc, torture in Gitmo and extraordinary rendition and the systematic destruction of our rights under the Patriot Act... and now you want to complain?  Get a freaking clue!  All that is happening now is long overdue and is a direct result of the actions of your party.  You claim to be democratic?  Accept the fact that you are from the loser party and suck it up for the rest of the term and if your side has a better idea, and, the people don't fall for the lies again, your party will win.  Until then, shhhhhhhhhh please because you are a real buzz kill.

And finally, to even suggest that this country is not still highly divided on racial lines is incredibly ridiculous.  things have improved, but, are a long way from truly being harmonious.  Just yesterday I was talking to some African American teenagers who got on the bus in front of the courthouse.  Believe me when I say to you, those kids DO NOT live in the same world as ANYONE on this forum.

[BC]

BC,

Are you not understanding what I wrote?  Who will intervene for America, when our beloved leader has opened gulags?  When his brown shirts crack heads and drag citizens off to internment camps for dissenters?

This is not about dredging up academic arguments.  This is about learning from history because this is what is beginning to happen in America (and Russia) today.  And, if successful, will spread worldwide without resistance.

Italy and Germany could have, but did not stop the rush toward totalitarianism. This must not be permitted to happen in America, nor in Russia.  First we need to rid ourselves of this kind of idol worship..

Ronnie,

Nations have always elected the strongest and most popular leaders.

As long as they are strong and popular they will maintain their positions.

Unless there is prima facie evidence of large scale voter fraud that would have made a difference in outcome, (not even proven in Iran BTW), the chosen leader will rule.

Do you not accept your own Democratic way?

If you do, learn to accept the result instead of pissing and moaning about it and desist from criticizing other countries for their choice past or present.

Although Hitler may not have been truly elected, his role was at least affirmed by 85%.

Yes, you may be pissed, but if you believe in your democratic ways, you'll just have to learn acceptance.

[GQBlues]

Fascinating how threads have a knack to get sidetracked...
 


What's fascinating still, if anyone even notices this, is the fact NYSE (Dow) actually went up to 50% from a little over 2 months ago when it hit at record low 6500- (9400+ now). Yet in the same period, unemployment rose (or never waned) at almost the same rate. It makes for a very interesting time because as an investor do you read the stocks as an indicator of things to come, or do you gauge the sign of the times at the national employment line?

I believe before the end of this year the Dow will again be residing in the sub 7000.