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A century after revolution, some Russians crave return of tsar

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By Anaïs LLOBET

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Putin may not want to be called a tsar, but he acts like one. You can't get rid of him, he will rule Russia for the rest of his life

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Exactly Utrack. The only way Don Putin is leaving the Kremlin is feet first. The Russians couldn't get rid of him even if they wanted to.

He's cleverly made up an inner circle of close friends like any other head of a corporation, only their is no oversight. So he can "remove" any and all threats to his throne.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Indeed. It took tzar Putin to bring back the Orthodox Church as a means to crush any democratic inclinations of the populace. The quintessential example of why Communists and Christians hate each-other.... They are competing for the same minds and, in the Highlander tradition... There can be only one. One is more evil than the other... And the other is more evil still.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Yes, is there actually a difference between Putin's power and a tzar's power? Or their values?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I as well dream of the return of one sovereign of the land. People, however suffering and oppressed, had something to believe in, in a figure that (at least) in the minds surpassed that of a mere human being wearing a crown. That they gave all their faith and will and in return received genuine kindness and care. But it did end badly the last time. One of the reasons would be the lack of genuinity. Emperor, tsar, monarch - all are a single institution of unifying human beings. But I guess it really has to be someone that surpasses a mere human being, else he will be corrupted and tainted in no time, as it happens today. Thus, we just have to believe that someone pure comes one day, worthy of our faith, concerned of all's well-being...

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

The Russians are a brutalized people. They've don't know what it's like to be treated well by their rulers.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

"Russians are monarchists in their soul"

I don't know about the soul of Putin's Russia.  

He is not an old soul.  

Nor is he a new soul.  

But I do know he is an a** h***.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Too late. You lot killed your own royal family.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Some Russians want to bring back the tsar, some posters here find it strange but see no problem with actually having a monarch at UK, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Japan etc. Very logical indeed.

@Madverts

The only way Don Putin is leaving the Kremlin is feet first. The Russians couldn't get rid of him even if they wanted to

Putin is in power since 2000, Merkel is in power since 2001 and she wants to carry on. Where are your jokes that Germans are longing for Kaiser or Fuhrer? Or may be you admit that Germans as well as Russians just want to retain the leader they deem most efficient?

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Sure Asakaze. I hear Merkel regularly assassinates journalists and imprisons and brutalises all opposition and dissent to remain in power....

Heh, I realise once again the impossibility of reasoning with a hardcore nationalist ;)

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Hello Madverts, good to have you here today. Extra work at GCHQ? lol

regularly assassinates journalists and imprisons and brutalises all opposition and dissent to remain in power

I hope you understand there is a big difference between what you were told and what actually happened. Stories about assasinated journalists and imprisoned opposition are of the same making as "Saddam has nukes" hoax.

And please tell me why the idea of some Russians to bring back tsars is the object of ridicule, while actually having a queen / king at UK or Norway is perfectly normal?

Heh, I realise once again the impossibility of reasoning with a hardcore propagandist

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

I'm sorry, but I just don't get the appeal of monarchies. There's literally no merit there. Even if they were just a figurehead with no actual political powers, it's just a waste of money to have them. In my opinion, making people believe in a royal blood concept is backwards, stupid, and dangerous.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Don't the North Koreans have something like this already?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Daniel Naumoff

The problem is, you don't just need one of these perfect human beings. You need his successor and his successor and so on... And monarchies usually pass the throne by blood, so there is absolutely no guarantee that you will get Messiah after Messiah. And if you want a monarchy with a leader elected by the people, then what's the point in having it over another form of government?

@Asakaze

Yes, these countries have monarchies, I live in a country with a monarchy too, but the fact is that these in reality hold little to no power. They are just symbols while the power sits with another form of government. Everything the monarchy in my country does is symbolic, they just act as representatives for the nation. Fine if that's the kind of monarchy Russia wants, but something tells me it isn't. And if it is, what's really the point? It wouldn't change anything in the lives of regular Russians.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I'm sorry, but I just don't get the appeal of monarchies. There's literally no merit there. Even if they were just a figurehead with no actual political powers, it's just a waste of money to have them. In my opinion, making people believe in a royal blood concept is backwards, stupid, and dangerous

I agree to a point. I’m from the UK and I advocate the abolition of the monarchy. I find the idea of inflated respect based on blood offensive.

However, it is worth pointing out that many of the richest and most progressive societies are constitutional monarchies - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Beligium and the Netherlands are all constitutional monarchies.

Also, societies are very different if you you look at the historical relationship of the Tsar to the Orthodox Church. In the case of the UK, the monarch is also the head of an established church and yet the UK is one of the least religious societies in the world.

But overall, I’d boot them out.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Merkel is in power since 2001 and she wants to carry on. Where are your jokes that Germans are longing for Kaiser or Fuhrer?  Merkel is continually elected by the people of Germany in open and fair elections, so until somebody better comes along or when the German people get tired of her theyll vote her out. thats how democracy works. Putin isn't elected in a fair and open democratic elections, he just kills off or imprisons anybody that challenges his power.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Putin is in power since 2000, Merkel is in power since 2001

2005 actually for Merkel. But that mistake is the least of your worries if you really believe the rest of what you wrote.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

You misunderstood me, Jonorth. This would not be a democracy, where the people rule (which is a preposterous thing in most self-proclaimed "democracies"). Tsar(Leader) would be someone who encompasses in himself (herself?) the faith of the whole nation, and becomes its absolute leader. Believing his is doing it for the best, people would listen to his words without hesitation, for he is the embodiment of their beliefs. Unless of course he starts ordering executions and mass murdering. That is the "corrupted by power" route.

I know it sounds utopian, but otherwise what to crave for? Saying "Tee-hee free folk" while sitting on all those landfills? I would rather dream big than sink low. We would rather.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Jonorth

Fine if that's the kind of monarchy Russia wants, but something tells me it isn't

Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but who said that your opinion is right?

@wtfjapan

Putin isn't elected in a fair and open democratic elections

And you can prove that? Even Western media admit that Putin is supported by 80-90 percent of the whole Russian populace and the elections were open and fair.

he just kills off or imprisons anybody that challenges his power

Repeating the same propaganda stories again? Saddam has nukes, Putin kills journalists?

@ClippetyClop

Before becoming chancellor she was the party leader. And if you don't believe all I wrote it's really the least of my worries.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

Repeating the same propaganda stories again? whats propaganda is if you believe that Russian democratic process is on par with that in Germany,

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Asakaze

Well... no one? And it's not really an opinion, I'm just saying it seems like the Russian people wants a monarch who has the power to make decisions. My point is, you can't really compare those kinds of monarchies, and that's why people aren't mentioning the ones you are mentioning - because they have no power.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Here you are right Jonorth. He seems to believe the monarch Russians want is the same as Japanese Emperor and English Queen. Which is wrong, they are but symbols now. Tsar though... he was supposed to be a gate between the Earth and Heaven. Omnipresent and undoubtable.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

These people were living in a world out of touch with modern Russia and they expected their community will be welcomed like Messiah return.......they are sick!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@wtfjapan

whats propaganda is if you believe that Russian democratic process is on par with that in Germany

Don't bend my words, I call propaganda your stories about Putin killing journalists etc. Russia and Germany have differencies in their political system, so what? No two countries are the same. Allowing such people like monarchists to entertain their opinion is a sign of democracy. There are quite a number of people in Germany who like the idea of monarchy - kaiser empire, by the way.

@Jonorth

My point is, you can't really compare those kinds of monarchies

I see. And I think there are some good points in monarchy. After all, that's why such countries as UK, Sweden or Japan has them. Absolute monarchies are impossible now, a constitutional monarchy - why not?

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Before becoming chancellor she was the party leader

Being the leader of the opposition is not the same as being the elected Chancellor. By the way, who are the main people & parties opposing Putin? Oh that's right, there aren't any are there. They all get shut down or imprisoned. You don't need another autocratic Tsar who gives away the country's wealth to his chums; you already have one.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"Democracy doesn't suit Russians, our mentality needs authoritarian and centralised power," said the young history teacher from Nizhny Novgorod, a city some 400 kilometres east of the capital.

Somebody finally telling it how it is

"A constitutional monarchy allows us to consolidate our traditional values to give strength to the people, who are struggling today," he said.

While some countries want to finally do away with their constitutional monarchies

And for others, Russia has already become a monarchy of sorts, with President Vladimir Putin reigning over the country for 18 years and widely expected to extend his rule by another six years in a 2018 vote.

The 22-year-old believes that eventually the monarchy will replace the "political hypocrisy" of today's Russia and mark the return of "real Russian values".

Putin himself has flatly dismissed any comparisons to a monarch, saying in 2005 that the title of tsar "doesn't suit" him.

Sociologist Lvov said younger Russians tend to romanticise monarchy and view it as an alternative that offers "order and predictability" in an unstable world.

Is that the political hypocrisy they're talking about?

Anyways, if ya guys want to know more about how Putin thinks, PBS just released a free video series "Putin's Revenge" - what influenced Putin's life, his dream job to be an undercover KGB operative but instead put into counter-intelligence where he's taught to follow any and all conspiracy theories, what disillusioned him into going into the bureaucracy, what made him want to control the media, why he has it out for Hillary regardless who's running against her, etc.:

http://www.pbs.org/video/putins-revenge-mzz1lp/

2 ( +3 / -1 )

who are the main people & parties opposing Putin? Oh that's right, there aren't any are there

If you don't know something it does not mean this something does not exist. There is Navalny who considers himself the top liberal proponent and challenger to Putin (there were stories about him on JT), Yavlinsky - one of the first-wave liberals from 90s, Sobchak - a famous TV anchor. They even have Communist party that opposes Putin. Educate yourself.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@askaze, yes it’s gone well for them hasn’t it!.

Navalny - arrested multiple times by the authorities on various unproven allegations, charged, sentenced, released ad infinitum. Almost blinded in an attack by Putin’s chumps

Yavlinsky - prevented from running for office by the electoral committee for unknown reasons

Sobchak - refuses to challenge Putin because he knows her dad!

Such a fertile political environment I’m sure, according to your Putin controlled ‘media’! Enjoy being a pariah nation.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@ClippetyClop

Wow, you know the facts even worse then I suspected.

Navalny: contary to your claim, arrested not on "unproven allegations", but on very clear and well-documented charges - resisting the police while staging rallies at places where mass demonstrations are not allowed. Tell me please what will happen to anybody, let's say in New York, who stage an unlawful rally and resist cops?

Yavlinsky - contrary to your claim, he was prevented not for "unknown reasons", but for fabricating his support lists. Neverheless he is ready to run in 2018.

Sobchak - her dad died about fifteen years ago, why you brought this subject now? And contary to your claim, she is ready to challenge Putin in 2018, that's why frictions already began between her and Navalny, each of them wants to be the top challenger.

Seriously, you consume too much propaganda. Learn facts first before writing on something.

@lostrune2

a free video series "Putin's Revenge"

Oliver Stone's documentary on Putin is a way much better!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Seriously, you consume too much propaganda.

The irony of a Putin supporter accusing someone of this is hilarious! I guess those pics of Putin shirtless / finding lost treasures / wrestling bears really worked on you eh! Here's your media world, waaaay down at no. 148!

https://rsf.org/en/ranking

Navalny - Protesting and 'resisting the police' eh? He was arrested in his home and jailed earlier this month without even going to the protest. Lovely! And if you want to have a protest in NY, you just get a permit. The cops love 'em apparently, easy money.

Yavlinksy - No proof he fabricated anything; They just claimed it wasn't possible because he got them quick sharp. Catch 22, but less subtle.

Sobchak - Has no intention of ruffling the feathers of the man who her father hired. She's just a pretty Prokhorov. Putin will be thrilled if she does run.

Your tinpot leader is thieving billions for himself and his cronies, he controls the media and silences opposition. But hey, he's a 'strong' man! For the love of God man, do some critical thinking and stop gobbling up the nationalistic nonsense that your leaders spoon feed you.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Sorry bro, but Putin and his cronies are CORRUPT. It's all him and his group know. I hope that Russia will get a leader better than him. I grew up with Gorbachev and Yeltsin and even they said he should have stepped down quite a while ago. But as I said before, Greed for power and/or money leads to corruption, and ultimately destruction.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Putin wears 3 grand tracksuits for his morning moob workout, while toothless Russians drink aftershave in their freezing hovels cheering him on. It's like collective national S&M.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"BigYen", try to use your head to fathom context. There is no indicating the other 72% said "No". They did not say "Yes". All there is to this article.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What can ya' say? The Russians love their dictators and democracy is still a foreign word there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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