I apologise to my foreign readers for an even more than usually incomprehensible title to this post. For their benefit let me explain that Bill and Ben, the flower pot men, were the staple diet years ago of very young Britons which perhaps explains why we're all such dribbling idiots now that we have grown up! These two characters lived in two flower pots at the bottom of the garden. They were both indistinguishable from each other and they both spoke an almost indecipherable language which sounded very like 'gobbledegook'. Between them lived Weed whose only dialogue consisted of endless repetitions of the word "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeed" emitted in a high treble. Now, I hope you have all marshalled those important facts because, of course, there will be a short examination at the end!
Viewing events at the bottom of the Russian garden in which 'Bill' Putin intends to swap places, again, with 'Ben' Medvedev I was instantly reminded of that charming childhood series. However, Weed has emitted a long, plaintive squeak of protest in the unlikely form of Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. According to The WSJ this man has been responsible for keeping Russian finances in order by restricting budgets and banking surpluses which so far has allowed Russia to escape the woes of others in recent years. And Mr. Kudrin is not a happy 'Weeeeeeeeeeed':
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin had earned the respect of investors by running a string of fiscal surpluses in the boom years of Mr. Putin's first two presidential terms and then stashing oil-export windfalls into a stabilization fund that eased the shock of the 2008 financial crisis. He was said to be angling for the prime minister's job under a new Putin presidency.
But on Saturday, Mr. Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev said they had agreed to switch jobs after the March presidential election, which their United Russia party is almost certain to win. In a rare public breach with the Kremlin, Mr. Kudrin told reporters hours later that his policy disagreements with Mr. Medvedev "will not allow me to be a part of the new government."
Not the least of his disagreements with 'Benski' Medvedev was the latter's decision to allow a "$65 billion increase in military spending over the next three years" (my emphasis). Hmmmn, glad I don't live next door to them! Mind you, whilst it does sound frightening it must always be remembered that the endemic corruption in Russia is like a cancer through the whole society leading to gross inefficiencies and inherent feebleness. A wiser man than me once remarked to the effect that it never does to under-estimate Russia - or to over-estimate it, either.
Meanwhile the bank used by the opposition party has been raided so that tells you all you need to know about the state of Russian 'democracy'!
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