Puttin’ Putin on the line

Occupy Moscow has sent a sign to Russian President Vladimir Putin: we don’t want you for another five years.

Around 15,000 people showed up on May 15 to protest Putin’s victory. Celebrities, writers, professors and opposition figures were all there, as they crossed through the streets of Moscow. But Russia has usually been a country of very little protest. Something is definitely changing in the ex-Cold War foe.

Only a few days before the G-8 summit at Camp David, Putin said that he would not be joining the other elite countries, but rather would stay back home in Russia. No reason was given for his behavior.

Could it be that Putin is fearful of the potential unrest at home. One reason Nixon didn’t send more troops into Vietnam was because his advisors said that they might need those same troops at home because the social unrest was so great that anything could happen.

Knowing Putin, however, the answer could be anything. But it’s clear: the people of Russia are sick of Putin.

Putin served as president of Russia from 2000-08, then as prime minister from 2008 to May of 2012, when he was reelected president once again. Many Russians believed it was election fraud, and simply assumed he would win regardless. And win he did.

As the world continues to change at a rapid pace, the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street Movement, and unrest in nearly all areas of the globe, only time will tell what any of it means for any leader. But Putin beware: something is definitely changing in the heart of Russia.