Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Lenin Lite wins Time's Person of the Year Award

 
Fausta alerts us to mainstream media's version of "earth-shattering news": Russian President-for-Life Vladimir Putin is Time Magazine's Person of the Year.

The 2007 honor went to the Russian leader because of Putin's "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability," said Richard Stengel, Time's managing editor.

Hate to break the news to you, Richard, but the major contributing factor to stability in Russia was oil prices, not a penny-ante dictator like Putin.

Time's headline: "A Tsar Is Born." Who's writing these captions: Paris Hilton?


Time Magazine's Richard Stengel congratulates Vladimir Putin

Macsmind's line is a keeper: Time names KGB Agent of the Year.

Good luck with fixing your circulation woes, Time. Meanwhile, General David Petraeus is the Person of the Year from the perspective of most Americans. Perhaps Time has decided to stop concentrating on the American market, though, which would explain their choice of Lenin Lite.

Update on 12/21: The Guardian reports that Putin may have enriched himself during his reign by as much as $40 billion.

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