How long will it take, Mr. President?

Weekends are great! Long live weekends! BUT... when you get back to the office all you can think of is the next weekend to come...it is not a rule, but it does happen to ordinary mortals like me...
In the past few days, I was enjoying interesting conversations with wise people, which I would like to share with you...

Few thoughts about Russia:
- How do you treat a leader who is cynical authoritarian, but who is tremendously popular in the country?
You treat him as an authoritarian, while respecting choice of the people. It is very difficult to balance, but at the end of the day, while criticising Russian President one should avoid creating animosity with Russian people. Russian population deserves a better future. Europeans are ought to show that no matter the current leadership, the Russian people are part of European project, European idea, even if it is decades away. Huge chunk of the population do not have too hight expectations for their lives, their pride is associated with the country. Unfortunately, President of the Country on numerous occassions has associated himself with it, but one should not buy it. Russia is not Putin and Putin is not Russia.

- Elections in 2007 will not bring any surprises but is it about Duma, or is it really a Putin referenda? It is about Putin in many ways, it is as much about his loyal soldiers clearing a battle field for the general to be triumphant. Is there really Other Russia? Well, there is, but it is fragmented, unreliable, incredibly knowledgable of the facts that go wrong, while completely lost on how to produce a change. Is change possible? Be the change you want to see, right?

- How do you defeat a regime that controls what people hear and see? One needs a lot of patience and unity for a greater cause rather than your own "15 minutes of fame".

...it is incredibly frustrating to read the headlines, to follow the news from Russia and understand that probably some countries will not change in the next generation...how should it feel for those that live in Russia...