Putin: A World Power
I am no different in this matter. I'm willing to bet that unlike most Americans, I believe President Putin to be the most important world leader in the last twenty years. If I haven't lost you yet, give me a chance to explain why...
Without getting too much into the biography territory, in order to further understand later points that I'll be making in this piece, it is prudent to know some of Vladimir Putin's background.
Being born after the second World War placed a young Putin directly in heat of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Growing up, he idolized the homeland spies that graced Soviet Cinema, explaining his eventual joining of the KGB (Committee for State Security, much like America's CIA) upon his graduation from Saint Petersburg State University in 1975.
Shortly after the collapse of the communist East German government and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Putin began work with the International Affairs section of Saint Petersburg State University. Putin resigned from the KGB after achieving rank of Lieutenant Colonel on August 20th, 1991, and would get into the local government system to begin his political career shortly following.
Fast-forward to several years later, to 1999, with Putin having a solid foothold in the government system of Russia, he would become acting Prime Minister. A year later, he'd move on to become President of Russia following the unexpected exit of former President, Boris Yeltsin (who was accumulating some of the worst domestic approval numbers in Russia's brief history since the Soviet Union collapse). With post Soviet Union Russia in turmoil, a forgone leader, and the domestic economy plummeting, Putin would have his hands full for his first Presidential term. One of his first missions was to further help topple some of the old regime in a plan that stretched far beyond his first term, most importantly including putting some of the former Soviet Union's corrupt financial mega powers (with most of the political stroke in Russia coming from the financial giants) on ice. This allowed Putin to fully stretch his legs politically, and attempt to reunite Russia under a new and improved regional government system with leaders directly appointed by the President. This brought a sense of collected central strength that the Russian people so desperately needed after such a tumultuous in between time.
After being reelected for a second term as President in 2004 (where he secured an astounding seventy-one percent of the vote), Putin continued to put his resurrection plan into action. By 2005, the National Priority Projects were all launched in an effort to improve Russia's healthcare, education, housing, and agriculture. By this second term, Putin would certainly assert himself as the man to lead Russia into the next century. In the middle of this political, economical, and moral restructure under Putin, he would be stopped a little short as the Russian Constitution barred him from serving a third term. Elected in his place was First Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev. In the power-switching operation of May 2008, only a day after handing the presidency over to Medvedev, Putin was once again appointed as the Prime Minister of Russia, maintaining his political dominance behind the guise of 'only' being the Prime Minister. Naturally this play came with much outcry from Russian citizens, as Putin levied his position to re-run for Presidency in 2012.
In the face of this unrest, Putin was again elected and began straight away with other decrees concerning development education, skilled labor training, relations with the European Union, the defense industry, inter-ethnic relations, and other policy areas that directly dealt with Putin's program articles issued during his third presidential campaign.
BUT WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?
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Firstly, Russia's control of the Crimean Peninsula gained in 2014, ensuring strategic military access to Sevastopol (a Ukrainian-leased Russian military base). In turn, Russia is granted easy passage through the bosporus between the Black and Mediterranean Seas (allowing the Russian navy water access to the West, if need be). This was considered to be one of Putin's most recent and radical power plays in order to further impose Russia's offensive strength.
Putin's deep knowledge of business also continues to help shape Russia, as well as the globe, economically. Out of ten of Russia's largest companies, five of them are government or state owned, and out of those same ten companies, six of them lay in the oil or gas sector.With the largest company of them all making up forty percent of Russia's state budget, Putin truly has a monopoly in the palm of his hand. This gives Russia almost a complete say when it comes to trading with the European Union, and setting their oil prices.
This also makes Russia very dependent on oil sales and pricing, which could eventually present the country with problems. Dependance on the sale of natural resources like oil or gas shakes the Russian business model, as the age of clean, efficient fossil fuel substitutes usher their way into the market rapidly around the world.
Vladimir Putin understands this.
In fact, the Russian government has supplemented their economy with the launching of many state-funded companies in aero, nuclear, high-tech, nano, and other modern technologies. This was a direct result of Putin spreading his power under the guise of Prime Minister, as most of these organizations were founded in either 2006 or 2007 under his second term in the position. With Putin overseeing these projects before his third and latest Presidential term, he assured their launching as long-term investments for Russia's future.
In 2005, his government also founded the world news network, Russia Today, reaching waves in Russian, German, English, and Arabic markets with a primary focus on international viewership. This network is just one piece of a grander scheme to help shape Russia in a way the government sponsors. This has proven to help boost public opinion of Russia and promote the Russian view of world issues and topics... Something that is very important for a country that is looking to rebrand itself for the next generation!
Not only this, but the Russian government has directly reached out financially to neighboring up-and-coming government groups and officials. This includes such instances as backing the Syrian government as they fight off rebels backed by the United States and other Western powers, probably just to prove a point. Even when it came to this past presidential election in the United States, it was heavily rumored that Putin had directly ordered the meddling with proceedings to insure it was indeed Donald Trump and not Hillary Clinton who was 'officially' elected by the American people. With such power to have perhaps influenced the election of the main leader of the free world has not gone unnoticed, to say the least!
With his Russia now a secured and united power, three presidential terms to date, two times serving as the Prime Minister to date, his own exorbitant personal wealth that is well-documented, and stroke held unlike any other leader in the world, it is no wonder that opinions have popped up in every corner of the world! Realistically, Putin's Russia has had some influence one way or another, large or small almost universally in the last several years.
So, where does that leave me?
Personally, I think people believe I'm joking when I say I like Vladimir Putin. Don't get me wrong, Russia under Putin has a lot of room to still grow and adapt when it comes to continually pressing social issues. Are there starving Russians? Yes. Are there people in Russia who hate Putin? Yes. Is he controversial and often goes unchecked? Yes. Is there a lot of work still to be done in his country in relation to the rest of the world? Yes. But really, who are we to only see these criticisms?
It is a true shame how American media outlets have painted Putin (and the majority of Russian affairs) as barely removed from the communist state of chaos that it was in for so long, instead of the more appropriate picture of economical, political, and developmental growth the nation is actually experiencing today. Twenty years ago, before Putin, Russia was denounced as a joke by the world following the Cold War... Just a crippled old piece of what it was once scene as, then barely hanging on. It became the sick child nobody wanted anything to do with as it, entering its final stages. Now, and moving forward towards the future, I would consider Russia to be one of the greatest allies the United States could ever have! The tables have considerably turned as threats in North Korea and self-acting terrorist groups like ISIS become increasingly prevalent in today's world.
Nonetheless, there is no denying that Putin has almost single-handedly transformed Russia into a superpower once again, with major influence in world trade, economy, and even country lines (all for the believed betterment of the Motherland)! Vladimir Putin as we've always known him has always represented great strength whether it be on American television, in reflection of Russia's geopolitical presence, or while shirtless hunting on horseback. In reality, I wish America had a leader with half the projected strength and forward thinking of Vladimir Putin. He's a guy who is more than willing to sacrifice a couple of eggs today for an omelette to be served tomorrow. His policies, foreign and domestic, have proved this time and time again.
So here's to you President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, for teaching the world a thing or two about running a county with the best interests of that country solely in mind.
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