Time magazine names its Person of the Year
... and the winner is -- Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Here's what one article had to say about the pronouncement:
The Person of the Year, says the magazine, is not an endorsement or an honour, but a reflection of the individual who most shaped the world we live in, for better or worse, during a given year. After all, previous winners have included Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.Time's managing editor, Richard Stengel, told NBC that Mr Putin was "dangerous" and "not a good guy."
Last Sunday, our Two Views feature addressed the question "Did Vladimir Putin use Russia's Parlimentary election to establish himself as national leader for life? You can read the two opinions here and here. Following the recent election, many are calling Putin Russia's new tsar.
Time's runners-up are Al Gore, J.K. Rowling, Hu Jintau and Gen. David Petraeus.
Here's what Time says is the criteria for the designation:
At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world — for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership — bold, earth-changing leadership.
Did Time pick the right person? Who do you think should have been the Person of the Year for 2007?
Comments
It should be People of the year and should be our troops that are shown the respect for changing the world and giving us the freedoms we are so accustomed too.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | December 21, 2007 9:19 AM
...since the "chicago boys" helped them set up their economy, the life expectancy of a male mocovite went from 70 to 52,...yeah,...he's a real sweetheart.
Posted by: john swift | December 21, 2007 12:38 PM
Jackie, I have respect for the troops and all they do, but "changing the world" is an opinion with an exagerated view.
Posted by: Rich | December 21, 2007 9:48 PM
... a very good pick, consider; Russia is a failed economy, with a very corrupt government, a ruthless mafia of ex-kgb thugs who are feared by the police, and the judges,a population that can't afford protein,....they are literaly starving...while this lilyPutin is sitting on a nuclear stockpile. hell yeah, put him in the spotlight, i think the volitility in Russia is as threatening as them darn Islamofascists am anywaze.
Posted by: john swift | December 22, 2007 11:01 PM
FYI: As much as some of us may want to see Russia fail in it's economy and the disinformation about it please read on:
Russia has been experiencing a boom in capital investment since the beginning of 2007. Capital investment showed record growth in June, rising 27.2 percent over June of last year in real terms (adjusted for price changes), to 579.8 billion rubles, with construction industry leading the way. That is a rise of 58 percent in nominal terms and a better showing than in China. Modern Russia has never before seen such a growth rate. While the rate of investment in Russia rose 22.3 percent in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, the increase last year of that period in 2005 was only 11 percent. The statistics significantly exceed both the conservative prognoses of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and less conservative independent analyses.
Also Russia also is experiencing Islamic terrorist attacks within it's Country but does not make it as public knowledge as it should.
Posted by: Rich | December 23, 2007 12:03 PM