Being that we are in the waning stages of a presidential election, I'm quite sure the topic of Russia will quickly fade from our TV screens. It shouldn't. Russia is at a bit of crossroads, and I'm not sure where I stand yet.
There is a low level buzz in the media regarding Russians' displeasure with Putin. Public opinion doesn't matter a great deal to Putin, however. He's been quietly consolidating power in Russia, nationalizing the media and strong arming potential opponents. A low approval rating is not going to make him lose sleep. Given that, my big concern is that Putin will use this crisis to further consolidate his power. I think the world is safer with a democratic Russia, and I'm very concerned about Putin using this tragedy for personal gain. At the same time, who could fault him for unleashing the dogs of hell on the Islamist Chechans? I'd certainly be hesitant to call him up on the hotline and say, "Mr. President, my sympathies for the terrible tragedy in your country. However, you need to stay your decision to wage full out war on the Chechans.
If Putin cracks down without abusing the use power, then he will have earned a begrudging respect from me. We need to be very aware of the possibility that he will use this completely to his own advantage, though. The Russia response to the school attack need to be monitored very closely.
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