>It's not for me to comment on the Russian President's sartorial accomplishments (lol).
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>Putin is simply a nationalist. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia suddenly found itself kicked out of superpower status. The Soviet system had whithered and they had to accept foreign funds to keep the government functioning. This had to hurt someone like Putin and his actions are understandable from that perspective.
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>Putin wants Russia to be seen as a great country again. Hence the enormous expansion of the military government and the crackdown on dissidents. It also explains the love-hate relationship with the US.
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>But what is chilling is Putin's response to national tragedies. When the Kursk sank he was slow to respond and acted like he was annoyed with the whole deal. The Beslan tragedy where Chechnyans massacred a bunch of schoolchildren drew the same lukewarm reaction. This guy seems to have no heart for his own people.
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Isn't that a typical response for the head of, or one of the commanders, of the KGB?