A Warning to the West

In one of my earlier columns, I tried to show that during his two terms (from 2000 to 2008) as Russian president, Vladimir Putin's play at democracy was really a calculated, well-thought-out ploy of a life-long communist and KGB man, who sought to deceive the West — and the Russian people in particular — to win in 2012.

After earning a law degree in 1975, Putin joined the KGB, the security force of the former Soviet Union. A career KGB man (he never gave up his membership in this organization, which still exists under the name of FSB as the main domestic security service and successor of the KGB. It is headquartered on Lubyanka Square, the former headquarters of the KGB).

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP Photo)

Putin has the smarts and experience to successfully manipulate public opinion within and outside the country.

In his first speech as president — hand-picked by ailing President Boris Yeltsyn in 2000 — Putin promised: “Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the press, the right to private property — these basic principles of a civilized society will be protected.”

Referring to the constitutional rights of the Russian people, there was one flaw — the right of the citizens to bear arms to protect themselves is nowhere to be found in the Russian Constitution, adopted in 1993.

Not surprisingly, the free Western countries were jubilant: Russia seemed to be on its way to democracy — a partial democracy, but a democracy nevertheless.

Basically to impress the West, Putin created an almost perfect illusion of free, democratic Russia: foreign businesses flourished in the country, Russians could freely travel all over the world, political parties of all denominations were free to form and have their debates in the Duma (Russian parliament).

In 2004, when Putin’s first four-year term was over, he got re-elected for a second term (2004-2008).

After his second term Putin carefully orchestrated his future political plans by supporting Dmitri Medvedev for president. Medvedev won and was elected the new president, succeeding Putin. Medvedev, in turn, nominated Putin to be prime minister.

The four years of Medvedev’s presidency, with then former President Putin wielding the real power, were not spent in vain: then Prime Minister Putin was busy preparing to take back his presidency.
As prime minister, Putin changed Russian law to lengthen the presidential term to six years.

Everything was on Putin’s side.

At the end of his second term, Putin strengthened the army with the latest modern technology. He created special units of police (OMON).

As of 2008, an OMON unit was in every oblast (region) of Russia, as well as in many major cities. For example, an OMON unit is located within the Moscow City police department, and a separate unit is located within the Moscow Oblast police department.

Putin also encouraged foreign governments to invest in Russian businesses and to buy contracts to manufacture military equipment in Russia.

It was not hard to predict the that Putin would win a third term as president (actually unconstitutional) in 2012 for several reasons. First and foremost, the Russian people were not armed and therefore presented no physical threat to Putin.

Putin had meticulously prepared his victory way before the election. He created the illusion of a rivalry among political parties and then excluded his rivals from the ballot, making sure they stood no chance of winning his well-orchestrated game.

Putin declared victory while thousands of protesters poured into the streets to expose his party’s fraudulent election results. There were multiple arrests against peaceful protesters.

The so-called constitutional rights that Putin referred to when he came to power —freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to hold meetings, to form political parties, freedom to travel abroad, to possess property, to open businesses, and so on — are nothing more than promises, not the inherent rights of the people.

They are the icing on the cake being manipulated by Putin any way he wants.

Not that these rights are unimportant. They are basic inalienable rights that are enjoyed by free Western countries under the guarantee of Constitutions.

Here is my warning to the free West — and to the United States in particular: Beware of Putin and his far-reaching dictatorial ambitions. His recent victory will most likely set him up to be president for life!

Beware of naïve and incompetent Barack Obama, who rushed to congratulate Putin, this lifelong KGB apparatchik and potential enemy of the U.S. and the free West upon his fraudulent election victory.

The rules of modern warfare have changed. Communist dictators have changed their strategy. Look at the PRC: they talk peace while preparing for war. Look at the political alliances they form: Russia, China, North Korea.

Ask yourself, is President Obama really on our side?

Lev Navrozov is a journalist, author, and columnist who is a winner of the Albert Einstein Prize for outstanding intellectual achievements. He can be reached at levnavrozov@gmail.com. Read more reports from Lev — Click Here Now.