Transitioning from Czarist Russia to the Soviet Union to the oligarchic / organized crime model of today was barely interrupted by whiffs of nascent democracy in Russia. The Russians have never known democracy, and their corrupt and authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin will try to ensure that they never will. Yesterday, Putin signed a law that would allow him to run for (i.e., win) two more 6-year terms as the Russian president. He's already served 4 terms, with the latest term ending in 2024, so that would mean he could hold that position at least until 2036. In the meantime, he's making sure that domestic political opposition is snuffed out, particularly in the person of Alexei Navalny, his principal political adversary who is in prison on bogus charges directed by Putin. Notably, the law that Putin signed also codifies the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, furthering Putin's campaign against Russia's LGBTQ community.
Aside from a simple obsession with power, Putin has reasons for remaining in control of Russia. The prominent reason is that his position continues to enrich him enormously. With the disclosures in the "Panama Papers" five years ago this week, Putin was shown to have personal wealth in the billions of dollars, wealth derived from his position as head of the Russian state where he receives kick backs from multiple Russian industries and businesses. You have to envision organized crime in the U.S., with the family head getting part of his capo's income to understand Putin's operating mode. The accusation of Putin's corruption is what fueled Navalny's movement, and is a mortal threat to the Russian thug. Sadly, unless enormous and unprecedented pressure is applied to Putin to open up the political system, he'll have years more to pocket his country's wealth.
(photo: Russian capo di tutti capi Putin. Reuters)
