Monday, May 15, 2006

A Strong Military - II

In essence, the speech boils down to the paradoxical conclusion that Putin is not serious about beefing up Russia's military. All he needs is some virtual power that would remind the forgetful West that Russia cannot be treated as a subject for "democratization." Nuclear arguments always seem to carry weight, but in real terms it is hard to see how a strategic submarine that might become operational close to 2010 (if the test flights of the Bulava missile go smoothly) could be an answer to the criticism that the extermination of free media damages the efficiency of state leadership.
Pavel K. Baev, commenting in EDM on Putin's address to the Federal Assembly last week.

See also: A Strong Military

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