Putin The World To Rights

‘WHAT on earth did George Bush and Vladimir Putin talk about for the three hours of their meeting in Bratislava?

‘And so the man with the most money wins’

Allowing for the work of translators – those poor sods saddled with the unenviable task of making sense of what Bush says – the meeting still seems long.

Ostensibly, the conversation, as the Independent reports, was about democracy.

Bush told a press conference after the meeting that he’d told his buddy ‘Vladimir’, ‘the fella’, about his fears for Russian democracy.

Bush voiced ‘concerns about Russia’s commitment in fulfilling’ the ‘universal principles of democracy’ (ie. the white man with the most votes wins and always smile for the camera).

Bush wants Putin to be less authoritative – something the Times’s cartoonist emphasises over a series of four frames which show Bush confronting his new mate ‘Pooty-Poot’ and then screaming: ‘IF THERE’S NO DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA…I’M GONNA IMPOSE IT.’

Of course that’s just a joke. Really, it is. (Isn’t it?) The two guys get on like an oil field on fire – one torched by terrorists opposed to their respective regimes.

Indeed, terrorism is what the Indy says Putin wanted to talk about most. The paper says Putin intended to steer the conversation towards the issue, but was unable to.

So for around three hours, including what the Telegraph terms a ‘frank, hour-long one-on-one’, Putin had to endure Bush telling him about the importance of democracy.

It’s a wonder Putin listened at all and didn’t resort to exercising a vote of his own – the one with his feet…’

Posted: 25th, February 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink