The bear returns

Yesterday, I went running with my kid down to the Olympic stadium by the river here in Moscow. I pushed my kid in his pushchair stroller. He sits there happily eating a chocolate bar looking at the river as his father pants and sweats behind him. I get bewildered looks from Russian's not used to seeing a man with a pushchair or a man running with a child. Both fairly alien concepts in a place like Moscow. We often do this run and both enjoy it. The stadium is a vast Olympic area with tennis courts, football pitches and the area has a huge football stadium. We often do three to four laps of the football stadium. Recently, the area has been blocked off and shut. last time we went there, the entire area was fenced off and men in gray uniforms that guarded the entire stadium perimeter for reasons, I will never really know.

Yesterday, on Saturday, we reached the river and ran along the road that leads to the stadium and I saw many traffic cops standing along the road that goes to the Olympic area. Long black cars would fly by, fronted by a police car with flashing blue lights. Then when we reached the entrance to the running path at the stadium, we were blocked by two men wearing black leather jackets, they had blue and white camouflage clothes and looked angry. I have never known what these men are? They are not traffic cops or regular police, you often see them standing outside expensive restaurants holding Uzi sub machine guns. There was a sign saying 'Road closed, private party' (there was not but there should have been a been a sign saying this). As I approached, these men told just told us simple a 'no' I took my music headphones out of my ears and asked them why? They said again "no". I called them wankers, knowing they would not understand me, turned around and ran back the way I had just come pushing my kid along in fuming anger. The reason I run at the stadium, is the air is fresher and it's a very nice place to jog. Why should Putin stop me! How dare he do this.

As we ran along the river, going back the way we had come, we saw car after car driving along with flashing blue lights. Then one long black car flew past us. It was flanked by at least seven cop cars with flashing blue lights. The back seat passenger windows had closed curtains, its important occupant not wanting to to see the real world that lives outside the security of his leather guarded palace on wheels. When I got home and by coincidence, I read the newspaper, and then realized why the stadium and the road had been shut off and so tightly guarded by black leather jacketed thugs. Putin had made a speech by invitation only, to a paid and loyal crowd and to a selected media informing them that he was electing himself again as president, to continue with his one party democratic dictatorship, maintaining his iron grip on the country for many more years to come.

For obvious reasons, I don't get too political on an Internet blog, while I am living in the country that I blog about. I would not want to end up as tree fertilizer or to be deported in a box, however Mr Putin remains an enigma to me and to many across the world. He is rarely seen smiling and seems to run the country with force. However, he is popular with many Russians and very unpopular with some. I have often asked many different Russian's what they think of him and many told me like him while some seemed afraid to say anything bad about him, as if the room was bugged. Putin has been strong and good for Russia, he has made it an energy giant and built up the economy, while the school and hospital systems lay very much as they were during the soviet area looking like museum pieces in today's modern society. Russian corruption and vast social problems of poverty continue in part, largely unnoticed or uncared for by those at every level in power, as they live their movie star, self indulgent lives.

Putin is a very wealthy man, as is his pal Dmitry Medvedev. Many other political and public figures in Russia are also very wealthy. No one is really sure how they have amassed such wealth but everyone has a good suspicion, however no one dares to ask any deep and direct questions regarding this wealth as they all want a part of it. Love him or hate him, ex KGB man Putin has been good for Russia and is a strong dictatorial leader. The United Kingdom, needs strong, tough leadership and I respect Vladimir Putin for what he done for the country, although, I don't know that I would drink a beer with him and would not want to make him angry if I worked for him. Despite his reputation, Putin has focus and determination and gets things done with a large stick, rather than with a soft feather.

Russian's are very nationalistic and proud about their country. This pride, real or imagined, is reinforced by institutional pomp and ceremony that happens many times each year on national holidays and on national days of ceremony. It helps keep the masses calm and sells a propaganda and a belief that large populations need to maintain social harmony. Again, I don't like nationalism but I now understand that populations need it. Look at my own country, It's in a total mess and is a total joke, we need a man like Putin to whip it into shape as soon as possible and take it screaming and kicking into adulthood and into a position of international strength. The weakness in the United Kingdom, happened long before the economic crisis, caused by weak leadership, the Human Rights Act and ridiculous EU laws.

I went back running today without my kid and it was all open again. I have got my running route back.

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