Putin against Totalitarianism and Despotism
On Friday, Putin warned against the dangers of totalitarianism and despotism:
We should not allow the "Ukraine-ization" of political life in Russia but we should on no account slide in the other direction, towards totalitarianism and despotism.
Putin also called for cautious reform of the Russian political system:
We need to bring in necessary amendments but we need to act extremely carefully. Any effective political system needs a healthy level of conservatism. A political system should not wobble like liquid jelly every time it's touched.
Putin harshly rejected a call for officials to examine complaints on the Internet about vote rigging in the recent regional elections:
On the Internet, 50 percent is porn material. Why should we refer to the Internet?
Putin was speaking at a major meeting chaired by President Dmitry Medvedev and attended by Russia's political elite. Putin's stern comments contrasted with a speech by Medvedev, who called for a shake-up of the country's political system to promote opposition parties, criticising "non-existent" competition in local government. The more tech-savvy Medvedev is also a keen user of the Internet and has a video blog.
