You can never get tired of the adventures of He-Man, Vladimir Putin. One day the Russian prime minister is shooting whales with a crossbow, the next day he's a judo expert. You've seen him shirtless and flexing his muscles. You've also seen him diving into the sea to discover treasure.
What about President Medvedev, the other half of the Russian ruling duo? Don't worry, the Kremlin isn't ignoring him. They've just released this video on the president's web site. Medvedev is playing the macho sport of...badminton. The message is clear – Putin gets to brandish crossbows, Medvedev gets to hit a birdie or a shuttlecock. Very macho, indeed.
The cruel comparisons don't end there. We found this picture at a doll exhibition in Moscow. Yes, it's a decidedly nerdy Medvedev, tourist camera and all, right beside a warrior-like Vladimir Putin. We get it, Kremlin spin department. We know who's really the boss.
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Putin is nothing but a thug, using his position in the former KGB to further his own desire for wealth and power. Putin is an enemy of freedom, and a thief of Russia's future, and the sad thing is that most Russians are dancing to his tune. Putin better hope noone awakens this sleeping bear, or there will be heck to pay for what he has done.
Hail Putin, Hail The Great Russian, World need Russian become mighty as old days. He the man. World is never safe with those thugs disguise as Freedom of people, the blind cause for democracy. Those thug hide under UN banner who preach peace and equality but same time wage war and plunder the wealth aftermath. At least Putin, he is man of his virtue of himself and for good of mother Russia. Putin your are the man.
You're right Red Dawn, Russia should turn the clock back to the Imperial days. By growing a moustache and a beard, Medvedev could easily pass for the late Tsar Nicholas II.
Putin also is estimated to be worth over $40,000,000,000.00 that He has taken from the Russian people. Great leader, He controls the media and puts anyone that strays from His grip in prison. Smart Russians keeping their leader in power. Even if they wanted to get rid of Him, He has to much control to give it up. Their country is unfortunately going down instead of up and their people will continue to live with out any real hope to improve their future, at least outside of Moscow.
@wrickard. Mubarak was alleged to have stolen so much that he easily could be seen as the richest man on earth. These people don't understand that they can't take the money with them into the grave. Leaving the fortune to the children? They should learn from Bill Gates.
You are right .Communist countries are better than capitalist countries. In USSR there was no unemployment. Because government was providing jobs to all of its citizens. If Russia will become a communist country again there is no unemployment in Russia. What is the use of capitalism when they are always facing recession and always unemployment? Now a day 9 % US people, 48% Spain people and 49% Greece people and 27% Italy people are unemployed. And in future unemployment percentage will increase in these countries. Apart from this Russia was always ahead of US in aero plane and space technologies and in many other fields.
By your name i could tell your an troll, and Obama,clintion,Bushes,McCains are thugs to and n enemy of freedom, and a thief of Americas Future
The Russians were ruled by the czars & then the communist. They've never expierenced freedom, therefore, they don't know what they're missing.
Considering the joke that America has become I think they get it all too well...
Too bad our own President cannot be more like Putin and less like Medvedev .
Least in their country they get things done and the people approve.
Common Fareen, You can do better than that. Here is an old saying – "Smart people always have something to say. Dumb people always have to say something."
putin is the great leader russia needs...he should go back to power if it means fixing that country and giving it back its glory...only putin can do it, everyone else is a sold out starting with gorbatchov who destroyed his country by signing papers that was suicidal for russia...
The glory? Breadlines sound good to you?
In fact most Russians hate both Putin & Medvedev. I have not encountered one single person in Moscow who will be willing to vote for him. Russians now so desperate they are ready to vote for communists at this time.
Putin & Medvedev made gross mistake once again stealing election from the people. Obviously, Medvedev was assured by Putin that after 12 years he (Medvedev) will be back as President again. Russian media blocks any sharp criticism toward so called tandem even for comments. Yes, it would be so easy for them to survive at Soviet times, but not today.
Nice lies Slavik sadly i dont believe them
(In fact most Russians hate both Putin & Medvedev. I have not encountered one single person in Moscow who will be willing to vote for him)
Huh thats because you really werent and havent been to Russia.
Your lying paid face is showing.
I would vote for putin. How about the American spring... every major city in america has massive protests against the government. I think it is the americans who arnt free,,,
Don't believe the hype of RT about OWS. We always have massive protests in America because our political freedoms aren't perpetually strangled by Authoritarian leaders like they are in the East.
Honestly, you can't accuse the Kremlin for creating a cult of personality AND then slander the Russian leaders for being unpopular. Make up your mind
What, a Russian strongman leader building a cult of personality around himself? This is a SHOCK! Completely unheard of!
Anyone wondering why russia and china are taking a more agressive military posture, just as we continue to disarm ourselves? not a good senario. its coming, and all the hugs and b.s. talking wont change it
Не нужно, чтобы увидеть эту статью, чтобы знать, кто реальная власть находится в матушку-Россию. Его связь с КГБ, является доказательством достаточно, чтобы видеть через его намерения, Медведев является лишь марионетка, и Путин кукольный мастер. До свидания.
Очевидно, что многие американцы не могут читать это, так почему бы положить его в русском они просто сделать дураков из себя, хотя я должен сказать, что Америка в пять тысяч раз лучше, чем матушка-Россия.
znaesh,chto takoe Ser gei, in English – gospodin pidaras. eto ti.
Пипец, америкосы выебнуться решили. Гугл переводчик так коряво переводит, что противно читать.
russian pigs
Google Переводчик? Я говорю России лучше, чем вы читаете это ясно NEO поэтому, пожалуйста, уходить обратно в Россию и пойти взорвать что-нибудь!
ya v rot ebal vas vseh poganih russakov i vashu gniluyu "mamashu-stranu"...davno pora podohnut vsem i otdat kitaytzam zemlyu, kotoroy oni luchshe vas vospolzuyutsya
Doomer, a tvoia mama sovsem drugoe govorila kogda u nas sosala...
No thank you but I do not want any of the today's specials. I'd like 2 piroshkies with a hot bowl of Borsch please.
2 eggrolls, sweet and sour chicken, shrimp fried rice, and a fortune cookie please..
I don't think physical strength, endurance or hand-to-eye coordination are particularly useful for either job, President or Prime Minister. Why don't we have them sit down to a chess match?
Great video. I enjoyed watching this very much. Humor goes a long ways!
Слава России. Град Путин.
We agree with the article and most of the comments. Russia needs a weak leader that people will hate. This will further reduce their patriotism and morale. Russians live too good now and they are happy with their government for the most part. This is not acceptable! We will stop complaing when they get another drunk to be their president!
The Americans
Putin won't relinquish power to anyone until he's lying in his coffin. He's in incredible shape and won't be going away soon.
Yes, Putin is an enemy of Western-style democracy, but can you really blame the apparat for stepping in after "Shock Therapy," a humiliating loss to Chechniya (the 1990s war), and Yeltsin's drunken, bumbling idiocy? Would Americans stand for the collapse of their country and an early 1990s post-Communism economic contraction surpassing even that of America during the Great Depression? Putin is the "law and order" strongman guy, and he knows and revels in it–West be hanged. My point is, we may not always see eye to eye with them, but we need to find ways to work with the Russians instead of wagging our fingers at them. P.S. Keep up the Cyrillic–I can read it just fine. Американец
Putin is a smal minded crook who is hurting Russia. Wish that whate would have swallowed him.
Well, Medvedev is playing badminton. But he is playing WITH PUTIN! Open your eyes.
Zhopa!
BTW – badminton is a very intense sport. Mr. Zacaria should try it once – playing over the net before making that kind of .... judgement. I do not like both current leaders but it has nothing to do with badminton.
He's one of those people that like to stir the pot all the time. And he will waste money a lot of it on the military when he could use it on his people
I see alots of anti russian comments in here, i guess you pro war monger idiots want a war dont you? or better yet Make russians to have a puppet prime minster who will work with America like in Libya now?
Great job fellas, great job. 70 billion euros was pulled out from Russia this year alone. No one wants to do business there. I gues this two are doing a great job.
С комментов на псевдо-русском поржал
Я тоже. Ну и придурки! Но должен заметить гугл переводчик все лучше и лучше
Да, и кстати.
Doomer, я твой дом труба шатал и твой поп пиписьк вертел. Йохохо
И твою маму тоже...
Безумные люди, с глазами, застланными тупой ненавистью и страхом, поселенными в них популистскими статьями и тупыми выкриками на форумах.
Статьями и постами, которые на 99% пишутся людьми никогда не бывшими в России и не имевшие там никаких дел, но делающих это с тупой убежденностью прущего стада баранов.
Тупая толпа.
Вэлком ту Америка
My heart goes out to the good people of Russia (and the former Soviet Union), who have suffered so much under such corrupt and poor leadership.
When I see Putin maintaining control of Russian politics, I'm reminded that things haven't changed much.
Well, they kinda keep electing them...
And I can see why: in the post Soviet turbulence (and default), the rights and freedoms didn't really mean much, so it didn't seem like such a big sacrifice to trade up for economic stability, a superhero leader, and an illusion of world might.
Mike, you get it!
I don't get how you think Putin & Medvedev are corrupt or even poor at leadership. The whole bureaucracy is corrupt from the Soviets and Yeltsin, it isn't something that just springs up when one person gets voted in – it's something that develops over a long period of time and is in fact very difficult to deal with. Furthermore, what would you have done in Chechnya that was so much better than giving Kadyrov power? How much better would you have dealt with the economic crisis that Russia fared so well through? I think he's good, don't believe otherwise purely because CNN tells you to.
you obviously have never traveled to Russia...if you did, you would see what kind of a third world sh$t hole it really is, and all this after forming a democracy?? LOL the wild west was never this bad
Better Putin and some sort of stability than a huge Eurasian, nuclear-armed country collapsing into political anarchy. I really hope I am wrong about this, but considering nukes, AIDS, population collapse, Chechniya and the Caucasus, etc., if and when Putin steps down, Russia may again become greatly feared–but more for its weakness than its strength (See history under: "Ottoman Empire").
Putin is the anti-christ...
PUTIN = Doouchebagov
Where you been, Ivan? I was looking for you in Afganistan. Things haven't been the same since you turned tail and ran.
Oh you mean like the US is doing next year?
It's hard for Americans to imagine, but badminton is one of the most popular sports in the world, and perhaps may even be the second most popular sport after soccer. And it ain't your backyard BBQ game. No slam on Americans: we love our football, baseball and basketball, but there are 5.5 billion other people out there who love a wide variety of different sports that don't get much air time in the US.
Putin's the boss? ...really? ...what an eye-opener!
why do you have to make fun of the russians? why not try to work with our world partners. be constructive instead of destructive? what's the point? ... the cold war is over.
Nothing surprising here Mr. Zakaria. Putin is surely the stronger man here, not merely in his extra-curricular activities, but more importantly in the daunting task of governing that ungovernable nation. Surely while like all strongmen Putin may have his excesses, nobody can ever dispute his record of bringing back post communist Russia from the brink, to its relative prosperity in such a shot span. Oil & gas revenues have helped, but that's only part of the story.
He's an infidel, but he's our infidel, so we keep 'em.
Thanks for censoring my comments Mr. Zakaria!
What a feeble, shameless effort at covering up your Islamist agenda!
Communist countries are better than capitalist countries. In USSR there was no unemployment. Because government was providing jobs to all of its citizens. If Russia will become a communist country again there is no unemployment in Russia. Even now a day’s education and medical facilities are free in Russia. And Russian is more technically educated then US and any other European countries. What is the use of capitalism when they are always facing recession and always unemployment? And one year back US is on the verge of bankrupt. US have 14 trillion dollar foreign debt. Now a day 9 % US people, 48% Spain people and 49% Greece people and 27% Italy people are unemployed. And in future unemployment percentage will increase in these countries. Apart from this Russia was always ahead of US in aero plane and space technologies and in many other fields.
Medvedev has never been more than a placeholder for Putin. No surprise.
JUST MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS !!! IF THE PEOPLE LIKE WHAT THEY SEE IT IS OK ... THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU MAKE THE PEOPLE LIKE WHAT YOU SEE BEC. THEY ARE TERRIFIED .. THEN YOU ARE PUTIN .... LET ME PUT THIS STRAIGHT IN YOUR FACE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
RUSSIAN PEOPLE ARE IN PAIN TELLING YOU THIS I'VE BEEN THERE A THOUSAND TIME MAY BE NOT BUT I WITNESSED THE PAIN AND STRUGGLE THEY ARE HAVING ... IN THE US FREEDOM IS NOT FREE BUT IT IS AVAILABLE UNLIKE IN RUSSIA ONLY THE DOLL IS AVAILABLE NO MORE !!! AND NOW YOU PEOPLE WHO LOVE PUTIN TELLING ME HE IS A GREAT LEADER O YEAAHH !!!!!!!
FEEL SORRY FOR YOU HE IS INSANE WHO DROVE RUSSIA IN A PLACE CALLED FERDINAND MARCOS VINEYARD !!!!
LOVE PUTIN KILL THE PEOPLE OF RUSSIA
MORE POWER FAREED I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU
Putin's pathetic in portraying himself as a caricature of a "real man." Yuk...that macho, wildlife-murdering, greedy image is SO yesterday. A real man is more in touch with his value of interdependence with the planet, animals, people and doesn't exploit others to glean position. What a bully!! I'd like to see him get out of his rubber boat, disarm himself of the crossbow and swim with the whales....that would be impressive. Pam (Denver, CO)