Well known V. Putin who was an acting Russian president for 2 terms since 2000 till 2008 became a prime minister. His successor D. Medevedev is notoriously known to be his cover and protégé. As rumors said that V. Putin might be one of the richest and powerful man in Russia and he hasn’t got a will to eliminate his power in a country.
On 28 January 2008, Gorbachev in his interview to Interfax “sharply criticized the state of Russia’s electoral system and called for extensive reforms to a system that has secured power for President Vladimir V. Putin and the Kremlin’s inner circle”. Following Gorbachev’s interview The Washington Post‘s editorial said: “No wonder that Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union’s last leader, felt moved to speak out. “Something wrong is going on with our elections”, he told the Interfax agency. But it’s not only elections: In fact, the system that Mr. Gorbachev took apart is being meticulously reconstructed.”
In July 2007, Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal wrote: “Russia has become, in the precise sense of the word, a fascist state. It does not matter here, as the Kremlin’s apologists are so fond of pointing out, that Mr. Putin is wildly popular in Russia: Popularity is what competent despots get when they destroy independent media, stoke nationalistic fervor with military buildups and the cunning exploitation of the Church, and ride a wave of petrodollars to pay off the civil service and balance their budgets. Nor does it matter that Mr. Putin hasn’t re-nationalized the “means of production” outright; corporatism was at the heart of Hitler’s economic policy, too.”
In NYT article “Medvedev Speech Sparks Rumor of Putin’s Return” is said that they might revise russian political system and increase presidency term to 6 years and after a break as a prime minister V. Putin might come to political arena again in 2012.
In Epic of Gilgamesh Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as Gilgamesh’s equal to distract him from oppressing the citizens of Uruk. Together they undertake dangerous quests that incur the displeasure of the Gods.
Epic of Gilgamesh and Russian situation right know has something in common. Same as V. Putin nominated to an office D. Medvedev to distract people same the Gods created Enkidu to distract Gilgamesh from oppressing people. V. Putin is like the God in Russia who does whatever he wants even if it agains the Constitution and interests of Russia. D. Medvedev is like loyal Enkidu.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/world/europe/07putin.html?scp=2&sq=medvedev+putin&st=nyt
