Putting It To Putin

What on earth is going on with Vladimir Putin?

I ask this upon learning from my sources (very reliable) within Moscow who inform me that his latest venture involves dressing as a Siberian Red crane and, piloting a glider, attempting to teach these cranes how to reach winter nesting areas. This from a man who throws any opposition politician into prison at a moment's notice, or has it in for female rockers who upset the Russian Orthodox Church. This, of course, begs another question: when did such an avowed atheist become a good son of the Church? Finally, his actions encourage others, and so Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine can take heart and throw his own opposition leader into prison. Poor Yuliya Tymoshenko, she who helped Putin secure a very favourable gas contract. It really is true -- no good deed goes unpunished.

I mean, could you imagine Stephen Harper dressing as a Canada Goose and leading the flock to God knows where.* Or Angela Merkel donning the habit of a crow and leading the flock out of Germany?** I think not.

Putin, of course, is the President of Russia. Now in a normal country, the role of President is largely ceremonial. The person offered this position by a Prime Minister is usually of the Great and the Good, and is appointed to bring stature, stability and a certain amount of gravitas to the whole legislative edifice.  In this regard, the best example would be that of constitutional monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K. would be the perfect exemplar. In terms of ceremonial Presidents, Germany and Austria come to mind. Putin, however, has iron control of the reins of power, and hence the Prime Minister -- in this case Dmitri Medvedev -- is very much cabin'd, cribb'd and confin'd by such a mis-use of the Presidency.

(An aside. The U.S. President operates under an entirely different arrangement, with an emphasis on the separation of powers among the legislative, executive and judicial branches. As can be seen, this can lead to gridlock, but what did you expect? The whole kit and caboodle was developed in large part by the political philosopher the Baron de Montesquieu, who was French. Enough said.)

Perhaps Putin is simply bored, and needs to hunt grey whales, to explore the depths in scuba gear, and to face down tigers. I have no problem with that, but not if he is to be an effective President. So I have fired off a letter, urging him to seriously consider retirement, when he could fly cranes ALL THE TIME.

But he is Russian, and I conclude with this observation from The Economist: '"if only Russia were different, it could be a wonderful country' is a lament the country's greatest writers have been proclaiming  for two centuries -- and in better prose."

Rimshot.

* Possibly to Quebec. They can be a nuisance there.

** Lady S. had originally used the proper term for a group of crows, a 'murder'. In that the term is not that well known, and that Dr. Merkel might take offence, I altered it, although not without thinking that were she to actually lead the crows, she would undoubtedly aim straight for Greece. --ed.