Editing Vladimir Putin (section)

=='''On Democracy'''==
Democracy for Russia is final

'Russia has made its choice in favor of democracy. Fourteen years ago, independently, without any pressure from outside, it made that decision in the interests of itself and interests of its people — of its citizens. This is our final choice, and we have no way back. There can be no return to what we used to have before.' (2/24/2005) [http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050224-9.html] 


Democracy is superior to authoritarianism 

'History proves that all dictatorships, all authoritarian forms of government, are transient. Only democratic systems are not transient. Whatever the shortcomings, mankind has not devised anything superior. (1/3/2000) [http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/archive/politics/2000/01/03/putin-faces-a-state-of-disorder/1816a0ba-52f5-48fe-a871-abefbebbdc40/?resType=accessibility]


Russia needs strong government, not totalitarianism

'Russia needs a strong state power and must have it. But I am not calling for totalitarianism.' (30/12/1999) [http://pages.uoregon.edu/kimball/Putin.htm]