COLUMN: 12-12-2007

Vladimir Putin is an authoritarian dictator. His selection of a figurehead successor so that he can maintain power as prime minister should be the trigger for every decent nation to cut off all ties until he restores democracy and freedom to his country, especially the political freedoms of the opposition parties and the press freedoms of independent journalists. Unfortunately, the business interests in most countries don't want to risk their financial investments in Russia and will pressure their governments to tolerate Putin's abuses until we pass a point of no return and Russia returns to it's previous status as a superpower that promotes oppression.