Vladimir Putin To The US: "No, Seriously, Socialism Doesn't Work"

Via Gateway Pundit:

"We must not revert to isolationism and unrestrained economic egotism... Excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state's omnipotence is another possible mistake. True, the state's increased role in times of crisis is a natural reaction to market setbacks. Instead of streamlining market mechanisms, some are tempted to expand state economic intervention to the greatest possible extent... In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state's role absolute. In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated."

Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin
Opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
January 28, 2009

Barack Obama: making history's mistakes all over again.

Well, he did promise change, didn't he?


UPDATE: A little relevant wisdom -

"The kind of events that once took place will by reason of human nature take place again."

--Thucydides (~400 BC)

UPDATE II: Reaching just a little farther back into history -

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office"

--Aesop (~550 BC)

So The Zombies Are Communists?

Yes. Yes, they are.

Everything I could hope for in a music video involving heavy metal, the Russian language, gratuitous female licentiousness, and Mikhail Gorbachev.


GORBACHOV: THE MUSIC VIDEO - BIGGER AND RUSSIANER from Tom Stern on Vimeo.

H/t Dri.

Obligatory Fidel Castro Retires Post

Wait a second. Cuba's Communist?!

Fidel Castro makes his retirement official:

"I am not saying farewell. I want only to fight as a soldier of ideas. I will continue writing under the title 'Reflections of Comrade Fidel.' I will be one more weapon in the arsenal that you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I will be careful."

Half a century under Fidel Castro. An unbelievable amount of time to rule a country. The longest in the world for a head of government, in fact. But, sadly, all good dictatorships must come to an end. Although Castro hasn't indicated who would follow him as leader, common sense tells us it will be Castro's younger and sprier brother Raul who, at the age of 76, has at least another six months before collapsing himself.

Here's what Bush had to say:

Putting forward the promise of an end to the 46 year blockade of the island nation, the American president pledged that he stood ready to help Cubans realise the "blessings of liberty."

"Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections, and I mean free and I mean fair, not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as being true democracy," he said.

So lets talk numbers. How long are we thinking Communist Cuba can last before folding in on itself without the power of Castro's personality propping it up? Five years? Three? Raul has already hinted at broad-based economic reforms. And we all know what happens when Communist countries get a taste of freedom, don't we?

The world's a slightly better place today than it was yesterday.