Vladimir Putin

Who would have thought that Ron Paul's ideological ally in his quest to take down the Chairsatan would be none other than the Russian dictator-in-waiting (or rather, in actuality), Vladimir Putin. In a speech before the of economic experts at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian prime minister had the following to say: "Thank God, or unfortunately, we do not print a reserve currency but what are they doing? They are behaving like hooligans, switching on the printing press and tossing them around the whole world, forgetting their main obligations." What appears to have angered the former KGB spy is the end of QE2. According to RIAN: "Putin's comments came in the wake of the completion of the US' quantitative easing (QE) 2 program on June 30, in which the Federal Reserve bought $600 billion worth of its Treasury bonds. The Fed's first round of QE, which ended in March last year, amounted to less than half the size of QE2." We can't wait to hear what expletive Putin will usher once Bernanke launches QE3.

While America is fascinated by the launch (or cancellation) of various presidential campaigns, the real presidential race news comes from Russia, where former president, current Prime Minister, one time KGB spy and overall wannabe dictator of the Great Russian Empire has just thrown in his card once again in the presidential race, much to the disappointment of figurehead president and Putin protege Dmitry Medvedev, who had some stern words of warning for the country should it choose to embark on the path to virtual dictatorship. This is due to the 45 year old's decision to increasingly disagree with policies proposed from the shadow president, as Putin continues to be in charge in all but name. The Australian reports "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has decided to run for the presidency next year, raising the possibility of a power struggle with his protege Dmitry Medvedev, the incumbent Kremlin leader, say highly placed sources." As to why this is just modestly a concern: "Under the constitution, Mr Putin's move to reclaim the presidency could
see him rule for two consecutive six-year terms until 2024, when he will
be 72. If so, he would have served as prime minister or president for
24 years in all." And the truth is that with his charismatic figure as popular now as ever, he will likely get it, making him the first non-wartime popularly chosen effective dictator of a "democratic" country. However, as Medvedev noted, this outcome would not be without sizable risks: "Russian history shows that monopolising power leads to stagnation or civil war." And the last thing an energy-strapped world needs is for the largest oil producer to be stricken by civil war...