Each year, the Times Magazine chooses one person who has most had an effect on the world during that year. According to the magazine itself,
"TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership"
That being said, the world at large generally treats the Person of the Year as a positive endorsement. You can bet that if Al Gore (one of this year's runners up) had been chosen, he would have treated it as an honor and an endorsement of his environmental crusade. The Times, however, would have one think little of the honor of the award, because they would better like to bestow it on such men as Mahmoud Armadinijahd, who won last year, or even on this year's awardee, namely the man who has best helped to turn a democracy back towards a dictatorship in Russia.
That's right, Vladmir Putin is this year's Person of the Year.
For those less informed on the current affairs of Russia, Putin finished his second presidential term and, constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, managed to have his hand-picked successor take on the role after him. Putin himself is serving as Prime Minister. Politically, Putin has stood against sanctioning Iran's nuculear weapons programs. Russia is the source of much of the radioactive material used by the iranians.
The Q&A session he had with the Times was was....well, there are many words to describe it, but it isn't that long. Check it out here and decide for yourself.
Comments
Dec. 19, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by bethanyrae
Yeah...I couldn't believe it when I saw it. He's definitely the scariest guy in the world. Even worse than the fanatic running Iran. Didn't he somehow arrange to put himself in a position of leading Russia indefinitely?
bethanyrae