Vlad is Time's man of the Year?

[Devastatin Dave]

I know leftists and American liberals have been pretty heart sick since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but come on!!! You'd think they could have just given it to the new Jesus of the left Al Gore. Oh well, congrats to the main Comrade!!!

[Fragony]

For journalists he has been pretty interesting, isn't the nomination based on to what degree he is food for them? Certainly an interesting character whatever you think think of him.

[ICantSpellDawg]

I know leftists and American liberals have been pretty heart sick since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but come on!!! You'd think they could have just given it to the new Jesus of the left Al Gore. Oh well, congrats to the main Comrade!!!

Putin is not a leftie. If anything he is a totalitarian centrist. Sounds crazy, but he is a Populist and believes in personal power.

All grades on the left-right scale have extremists now. Communists on the left, Fascists on the right and Populists in the center.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I know leftists and American liberals have been pretty heart sick since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but come on!!! You'd think they could have just given it to the new Jesus of the left Al Gore. Oh well, congrats to the main Comrade!!!

It's based on Time's idea of degree of influence, no more no less. That's why reasonably nice people like "You" and "Churchill" share the title with Hitler and Stalin. There's no moral or ideological preference based factor involved in the title, nor is it an award or punishment, just a title. Hence even if the liberal conspiracies you believe in would exist, they wouldn't necessarily choose a liberal.

[Spino]

For journalists he has been pretty interesting, isn't the nomination based on to what degree he is food for them? Certainly an interesting character whatever you think think of him.

For sure. The fact that Gore actually walks and talks like a human being is an astounding feat in itself but that software upgrade they installed during the second Clinton term was nothing short of a technological miracle. Now he looks so real you'd swear he was an actual living, breathing, political animal. Cybernetic technology has come such a long way in the last 15 years...

[DukeofSerbia]

And the full article is here:
A Tsar Is Born

And why they choose him:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/20...696150,00.html

At significant cost to the principles that free nations prize, he's brought Russia roaring back to the table of world power...

[woad&fangs]

Time magazine is rather lousy at choosing their person of the year and their "100 most influential people". They left Imadinnerjacket off of their top 100 last year. This year should of went to Gore. I really dislike him but I think he was the most influential person of the year.

[Devastatin Dave]

Why didn't any of you d-bags nominate me?

[Fragony]

For sure. The fact that Gore actually walks and talks like a human being is an astounding feat in itself but that software upgrade they installed during the second Clinton term was nothing short of a technological miracle. Now he looks so real you'd swear he was an actual living, breathing, political animal. Cybernetic technology has come such a long way in the last 15 years...

Meant Vlad, he has been quite the sensation, Gore is to the world what volleyball is to sport imho.

[Rodion Romanovich]

For sure. The fact that Gore actually walks and talks like a human being is an astounding feat in itself but that software upgrade they installed during the second Clinton term was nothing short of a technological miracle. Now he looks so real you'd swear he was an actual living, breathing, political animal. Cybernetic technology has come such a long way in the last 15 years...

So it wasn't Al Gore who invented the Internet, but the Internet which invented Al Gore?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Why didn't any of you d-bags nominate me?

The moderator team put you forward en masse, but we were told by your secretary that you would refuse the award as it is for Person of the Year, and, I quote: "Da man don't do that liberal ****".

[Spino]

Meant Vlad, he has been quite the sensation, Gore is to the world what volleyball is to sport imho.

LMAO!

Sorry, I was tricked by my subconscious into believing you made a sarcastic remark about Gore...

Anyway I have no complaints about Time's choice this year but I personally would have given it to Ahmadinejad. I do find it rather strange that Imadinnerjacket didn't even crack the top ten list, especially since 2007 was a banner year for all things Iran related. Political bias at work? Hmm, methinks the Time magazine staff is a tad concerned about giving too much attention to someone who is on the s--t list of the top presidential candidates belonging to the party who shall not be named...

[Vladimir]

You like me, you really really like m....whoops, never mind.

[Devastatin Dave]

You like me, you really really like m....whoops, never mind.

Maybe next year...

[Husar]

He's a good guy, he deserves it.

[Major Robert Dump]

Don't blame Time, Anyone on the board who didnt vote for vlad was going to be assasinated on vlads birthday by a homeless guy hired by a toothless back alley vodka swigging pimp hired by a footman for a Russian underboss, all of whom we be dead the next day. Except the underboss.

[Kralizec]

He's a good guy, he deserves it.

Ugh.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Poor choice.

Putin is a new Tsar and a pivotal player on the world stage -- likely to influence policies and decisions for decades. Verdict: dull, boring, old-hat.

Joint award to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Many (Most?) of the Western world don't know who Putin is and fewer still care. "Brangelina," of course, is a subject of constant interest and has generated far more copy than has that Russki. Putin wouldn't get their attention unless he stationed guards to prevent access to the local beer store, but they can faultlessly chart every episode of Brad or Angelina's week.

Gads, I feel the urge to spew in frustration.

[Incongruous]

Should have given it to Leonidas IMHO...

[IrishArmenian]

I know leftists and American liberals have been pretty heart sick since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but come on!!!

Dave, you can read me like a book! I've been craving the return of an evil, totalitarian government that tried to destroy people I loved and my religion! Why did you gooo? I don't want Transcaucasian independence! * I want to be a slave!
[/sarcasm]
This is an odd pick, but I understand it now that I know that the award is based on influence and journalist-friendly qualities.
*Such an ironic smiley, I had to pick it!

[HoreTore]

Putin, a commie? Uhm... When did privatizing replace nationalizing as the commie thing?

Seriously, Putin, a commie?

Seriously?

[PanzerJaeger]

Where's Britney?

[HoreTore]

Where's Britney?

Knocked up, I'd guess...

[Kralizec]

Putin, a commie? Uhm... When did privatizing replace nationalizing as the commie thing?

Seriously, Putin, a commie?

Seriously?

What did Putin privatize?

[Peasant Phill]

Putin is no communist but sure as hell isn't a capitalist either.

He has probably nationalised more companies than he has privatised governmental organisations. I would actually be surpised if you'd tell me he has privatised certain organisations as it appears he wants everything close so that he can control it. His motto seems to be "prove me disloyal and I'll take away your company and lock you up for some reason".

[Louis VI the Fat]

Nero, the papacy, Louis XIV, the British royal family - all amateurs. The biggest swindle in European history:

An unprecedented battle is taking place inside the Kremlin in advance of Vladimir Putin's departure from office, the Guardian has learned, with claims that the president presides over a secret multibillion-dollar fortune.
Rival clans inside the Kremlin are embroiled in a struggle for the control of assets as Putin prepares to transfer power to his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, in May, well-placed political observers and other sources have revealed.

At stake are billions of dollars in assets belonging to Russian state-run corporations. Additionally, details of Putin's own personal fortune, reportedly hidden in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, are being discussed for the first time.

The claims over the president's assets surfaced last month when the Russian political expert Stanislav Belkovsky gave an interview to the German newspaper Die Welt. They have since been repeated in the Washington Post and the Moscow Times, with speculation over the fortune appearing on the internet.
Citing sources inside the president's administration, Belkovsky claims that after eight years in power Putin has secretly accumulated more than $40bn (£20bn). The sum would make him Russia's - and Europe's - richest man.

[HoreTore]

Who said that crime doesn't pay?

[HoreTore]

What did Putin privatize?

Putin is no communist but sure as hell isn't a capitalist either.

He has probably nationalised more companies than he has privatised governmental organisations. I would actually be surpised if you'd tell me he has privatised certain organisations as it appears he wants everything close so that he can control it. His motto seems to be "prove me disloyal and I'll take away your company and lock you up for some reason".

A communist is a follower of Lenin, and a hardcore believer in the revolution. Where's Putin's revolution? He has made some medium reforms at best. Nothing October about him at all. If it was, we'd see a planned economy by now, wouldn't we? A revolutionary marxist in complete power for 8 years, and we still see billionaires popping up all over the place? Does that make any sense?

Seriously?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Where's Britney?

Not enough in the news -- apparently she's spent too much time this year coaching her sister.

[Kralizec]

A communist is a follower of Lenin, and a hardcore believer in the revolution. Where's Putin's revolution? He has made some medium reforms at best. Nothing October about him at all. If it was, we'd see a planned economy by now, wouldn't we? A revolutionary marxist in complete power for 8 years, and we still see billionaires popping up all over the place? Does that make any sense?

Seriously?

To his credit I don't think he's a commie either, just a lying scumbag and an autocrat with no real ideological baggage (nationalism aside). However to my knowledge he hasn't privatized anything, he in fact made a lot of (rich) enemies by nationalizing oil and gas companies.