Vladimir Putin stirs memories of Joseph Stalin as he urges 'leap forward'

[alp227]

Source: Reuters

Russia needs a "leap forward" to rejuvenate its sprawling defence industry, Vladimir Putin said on Friday, harkening back to the ambitious industrialisation carried out by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in the runup to the second world war.

"We should carry out the same powerful, all-embracing leap forward in modernisation of the defence industry as the one carried out in the 1930s," Putin told his security council, without mentioning Stalin by name.

Stalin, who ruled the Soviet empire for 25 years, is blamed for the death of about six million people but also is praised by many Russians for winning the second world war and industrialising the country.

Putin has made renewed industrialisation a priority during his third term in the Kremlin.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/31/vladimir-putin-russia-needs-leap-forward

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. Don't kid yourselves....the Neocons here have their counterparts over there...

...that ALSO miss the old Cold War days of drinking and hookers...

[SunSeeker]

4. Exactly. And they need each other to exist. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Both are having a hard time justifying to their people who they need to defend against that requires

building fighter jets and tanks, not to mention navies with nuclear subs practising launch drills.

The Russian People have enjoyed peace for a very long time now and see no benefit in being an arms merchant.

[EX500rider]

2. "Leap forward" stirs more memories of Chairman Mao to me.. n/t

[jtuck004]

3. We have a candidate who is talking like Stalin IS back in power. Given that his trusted

friends have conversations with, and even chastise, empty chairs, it seems like a reasonable response on the part of the Russians.

[Union Scribe]

5. "USSR? I thought you guys broke up?"

"That's what we wanted you to think!"

</Simpsons>

[Turbineguy]

7. Good old uncle

Joe-"if-I-Had-150 million-Russians-I'd-keep-right-on-murdering-them-until-they-were-all-gone-" Stalin.