43 pictures of Vladimir Putin.

[partis]

http://www.buisnessinsider.com/43-pictur...013-9?op=1

How did yours work.… i think hes funny, im not sure if i admire him but he shouldnt be underestimated

[sillyboy86]

Does the link work?

[partis]

For some reason, no. Sorry.

[East]

http://www.businessinsider.com/43-pictur...013-9?op=1

Just curious...is this another person you admire?

[partis]

Not sure… thats funny though dont you think.… im just trying to figure out how to post websites… how did yours work?

[East]

Not sure… thats funny though dont you think.… im just trying to figure out how to post websites… how did yours work?

You copy the address at the top of the page and just paste it in the message part.

When you say you aren't sure...are you aware of what he has done to gay people in Russia?

[southbiochem]

We're all aware to what hes done in Russia, East, calm yourself...a bunch of pics of a dude does not make up for a personality cult.

the LGBT is a small part of his anti-democratic work..he managed to turn Russia back into a police state, very very similar to Stalinist Soviet Union: centralized, authoritarian, scaringly powerful..all that's left is setting gulags again

the fact that Obama caved under Russia's pressure with the whole Syria deal (OK by me on the side of finally the US doesn't get to pull crap unilateraly) has put Putin as a strong man in the world...

you don't have to agree with his clearly detrimental (to the people in general) policies, but you can't stop acknowledging his influence...yet, he was elected..by a majority..

it's a whole society that needs changing there and in Ukraine and in many other places, which is just sad when we think about LGBT rights

[Woollyhats]

I can't admire Putin.

For strength, a cold drive to get what he wants, and a firm grip on politics, he is skilled. I'm not sure that these, in combination, are traits I admire, as they tend to end up hurting people.

In Russia, the LGBT are one of the groups his government are hurting. By legally making them second class citizens, and legally removing their right to defend themselves, Russia seems to be reminiscing over how the government of Germany historically treated the Jews. I'm entirely neutral on the question of whether homosexuality will achieve the status of being illegal, but there are people in Russia's government who want to see LGBT people dead, and powerful church groups are actively fighting for this - and they are clever, saying that the citizens should vote in a referundem (and we know how that is going in such a homophobic country).

There are government officials that encourage the beating of lgbt persons, the government has outlawed public demonstrations, the government has refused to enact anti discrimination legislation; so good luck getting a job, outlawed being openly gay, etc. under the guise of protecting children, vigilante groups exist that are beating and murdering gay people (they pose as potential romantic interests on line and then strike) - and the police are doing nothing about it, and homosexuality is increasingly being regarded as a serious disorder or unholy affliction.

Putin has the power to do something about this, but is doing nothing/encouraging this.

I'm not sure I admire him. His homophobia is not traditional homophobia, it is something worse. And it is going to get far worse, before it gets better.

[southbiochem]

He will target more than LGTBs, Kuma-Woolly...you just wait of how muslim minorities will suffer after the Volgograd attacks,

The Caucasus ethnic groups and even the independent Trans-Caucasian nations will suffer too..

The 2008 South Ossetian war was a clear example, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Russia was to annex parts of those countries again...

like I said, all he's lacking is to set up gulags again..

Alas, what else can yo expect form a country that never in it's history has know a democratic govermnet...(OK, Gorbachev and Yeltsin were fair attempts)

[partis]

i think hes skilled and i acknowledge his influence. He is a "strong man" (that i agree with wolly and southy)

He may just be more democratic than we know, appeasing the strong influences (if he suddenly loved gays, do you think somebody worse would come along, with stronger anti-lgbt views, put into power by those who want to control more)