An old badass nonetheless

I agree.

FP may have its issues but I believe you are not looking in the right places as you can find criticism of any modern leader as this is the information age. If I recall correctly George W. Bush was throughly savaged for his "Mission Accomplished" stunt.

Putin learned from the reaction of the Russian people (and the world) from his blase' indifferent and remote non reaction to the Kursk submarine disaster that he needs to present a better image of his real cold hearted self. We recall of course that, when in August of 2000 the Kursk went down due to its own self destruction of Russian design, Putin remained on vacation in the sunny South of Russia far from the frigid waters of the Barents Sea, all the while ignoring foreign offers of assistance to try to save the surviving crew who, consequent to Putin's remote disaffected attitude perished negligently and because of Putin's absolute heartlessness.

However, the new and shinny Putin hardly has become caring, empathetic or even sympathetic to the vicissitudes of the Russian people. He's simply become the new and locally adapted version of the Marlboro Man (who of course died of lung cancer). Putin and George Dumbya have a lot in common, i.e., empty eyes and empty heads, but Dumbya isn't running the United States any more while Putin is and remains leader of Russia for life. And the Russians love it. The American people instead love the fact that Dumbya is gone forever from public life or office, as is the entire (disastrous) Bush Dynasty.

Vlad the Jailer and the Gitmo waterboarder Bush are not very different. The real difference is in the reaction of the people of each country to each of these bozos. While the American people are glad to be rid of Dumbya and reacted to him by the most welcome election of Barack Obama, the Russian people are happy to receive and endorse Vlad the Jailer and the superficial, facile self promoter for life. Vlad the Jailer, the newest Tsar.

I happen to think that in the United States Putin could make it a US Senator from South Carolina or as governor of Arizona, nothing more, nothing of any consequence. I would add that that in Russia Dumbya for a change could have his first success as a businessman due to Russia's system of oligarchy, mafia rule and the Kremlin scheming as their own bizarre local three branches of government.

Putin's lesson from the extensive criticisms of his cold blooded heartless indifference to the Kursk disaster - who today besides grieving family remember the Kursk death trap of a Uboat? - is to muzzle the press, to kill journalists investigating the three branches of the Russian elites, i.e., the government-mob-oligarchy complex, and to present himself as the Russian Schwartzenegger (in midget form of course). Yeah, Vlad the Jailer has learned well from the Western PR machine and the large number of Russians in their haze think he's the greatest thing since, well, vodka.

Thanks for right words. It's really true