# Russia/Putin...My new heros! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 27, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882 "2003-10-27T18:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/1 "2003-10-27T18:24:22Z")
I am very happy to see Putin cleaning up the scum of society in Russia. Recently, Mikhail Khodorkovsky (Russia’s wealthiest man) was arrested and is facing charges of evading 1 BILLION in taxes along with 5 murders linked to him and his oil giant Yukos. This is another domino of Russia’s leeches being squashed under the mighty foot of nationalist Russians. There are only three more filthy oligarchs to go. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3217143.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3217143.stm) My question is: Why do you think Putin/Russia is doing this and why did it take them so long? Finally, which scumbag oligarch do you think is next…Vladimir Potanin, Mikhail Friedman and Roman Abramovich? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/2 "2003-10-27T18:44:31Z")
Wouldn’t this be better in IMHO? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/3 "2003-10-27T18:50:44Z")
This is GD material. ---
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/4 "2003-10-27T18:50:50Z")
Firstly, I do not have a humble opinion. Secondly, I am asking a question. If you do not want to contribute, then do not post. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/5 "2003-10-27T19:04:01Z")
Unfortunately, it is not a factual question. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/6 "2003-10-27T19:14:10Z")
**2Thick** , General Questions is for questions with **factual answers**. This is moved to GD. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/7 "2003-10-27T19:36:49Z")
Well, I’ll avoid your assertions that the oligarchs are automatically “scum” and other such assertions you’ve made. The why? Politics, plain and simple. Putin is looking for re-election and must show the “nationalist Russians” that he is in charge and running the show vs. the oligarchs. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/8 "2003-10-27T19:54:00Z")
**Moderator’s Note:** **2Thick** , I edited your post to remove that link to a picture of (I presume) Mikhail Khodorkovsky. It wasn’t a link to an article and didn’t really advance the discussion any. I guess you wanted to have his picture in your post, but we have image tags disabled on this board, so all it did was put in a link to the picture with a really long URL that made the original post in the thread look funny because it was too wide. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/9 "2003-10-27T19:59:30Z")
This is how it’s put around these parts: Elections are coming up. Mikhail Khodorkovsky apparently was supporting two rivalling parties, which was contrary to a voco soto agreement Putin made with the oligarchs upon his first move to power; that they should stay out politics in return for being left alone and keeping their wealth. Also these oligarchs are massively unpopular in Russia. Arresting him was a good career move. In any case Khodorkovsky obviously didn’t come to all this wealth by being a law-abiding business man, even were such a thing possible, so no tears here. - Rune ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/10 "2003-10-27T19:59:38Z")
Why did Putin do it? Well, perhaps he’s cleaning up the scum, or perhaps Khodorkovsky just crossed him somehow, perhaps by refusing to make his protection payments. Given Pooty-Poot’s governing style to date, I know which way to bet. ---
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/11 "2003-10-27T20:12:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\ ***Moderator’s Note:** **2Thick** , I edited your post to remove that link to a picture of (I presume) Mikhail Khodorkovsky. It wasn’t a link to an article and didn’t really advance the discussion any. I guess you wanted to have his picture in your post, but we have image tags disabled on this board, so all it did was put in a link to the picture with a really long URL that made the original post in the thread look funny because it was too wide. \*\* Thank you. I forgot about the board’s no-image policy. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/12 "2003-10-27T20:44:23Z")
As an auxiliary issue here–this arrest has delayed the acquisition of Yukos by foreign oil companies (Exxon and Chevron were competing, I believe). How do Russians, and esp. Putin and his crew, feel about their country’s most valuable resource being controlled (at least in part) by foreign corporations? (Or would they be happy for the foreign dollars coming in from such a merger/buyout?) Perhaps the timing was a delaying tactic on the govt’s part. Although it’s playing hell with the stock exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Timchik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Timchik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timchik)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/13 "2003-10-30T19:44:51Z")
There are really no heros in this story, **2thick**. All of the so-called oligarchs have some kind of dirt in their past; Khodorkovsky was picked out because he was not adhering to the unspoken pact of enjoying his wealth and not messing in politics, and because Yukos was planning on selling 40% to ExxonMobil, thereby making it more difficult to squeeze them/take them over should it become necessary. Also, all of the old “oligarchs” are related in one way or another to the Family, one of the major clans in Russian politics (basically those who were close to Yeltsin). The Chekisty (ex-KGB people associated with Putin) are in the ascendent at the moment, after several years of a rough balance, and they want to get into the action. This has nothing to do with “cleaning up the scum”. This is what the Russians call a “peredel sobstvennosti” or “divvying up the pie”. Stupid way to do it, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/14 "2003-10-30T20:23:35Z")
I think Putin didn’t do it for the purely ideologic reasons you put forth. Putin did it because Khodorkovsky was backing the opposition. You won’t see the others go, because they’re smart enough to appease Putin. Russian Politics, plain and simple. Putin’s as dirty as the Ollies. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/15 "2003-10-30T22:46:47Z")
I see it as a dangerous development… he put that guy away for political… not criminal reasons. I know some of his methods are less than ideal… but Putin seems quite the autocrat himself. ---
**Author:** ![mipsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mipsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipsman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/16 "2003-10-31T01:13:41Z")
I too applaud Putin. Maybe he did it so the oligarchs will not be able to “buy” Russian intervention in the Mideast. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/17 "2003-10-31T18:01:36Z")
Well, there’s the intersting development now that Russia has seized his shares … so now the govt. itself owns a large stake in Yukos. ---
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/18 "2003-10-31T19:37:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > \*\*Well, there’s the intersting development now that Russia has seized his shares … so now the govt. itself owns a large stake in Yukos. \*\* The Kremlin has frozen the stocks so he cannot sell them off by proxy and take the money out of Russia. It is a legitimate procedure in criminal cases invloving fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/19 "2003-11-01T00:53:38Z")
Wow… this is so different from other places where business is taking over government… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882/20 "2003-11-01T23:41:42Z")
It seems odd that the arrest of a crooked businessman would stir up so much controversy with American policy makes such as Richard Perle. > [@](#): > > Richard Perle, a hawkish policy adviser whose voice is heard in the Pentagon, has called for Russia to be expelled from the Group of Eight industrialized countries over the arrest of Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky. [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/10/31/011.html](http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/10/31/011.html) I am sure it has nothing to with Perle and Khodorkovsky being open Zionists. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-putin-my-new-heros/209882.md?page=2)