Putin says choosing to become an official means connecting your fate to the fate of the country.
- By Carl Schreck
Putin has talked up the importance of improving Internet access and performance in Russia, though Putin himself has been notoriously skeptical of the Internet. An anecdote that Ekho Moskvy editor in chief Aleksei Venediktov told in August:
“Three or four years ago I asked him [why he doesn’t use the Internet], and he told me: 'Your Internet (my Internet!) is nothing but disinformation and manipulation. Look' – and he pointed at folders on his desk -- 'every one of them is signed by a general, and if they lie to me (and I make decisions based on this information, upon which millions of people depend), I can strip them of their rank…And these usernames, what is this all about?! That was four years ago. What the case is now, I’m not sure.'”
Putin says constitution must be amended so that senior government officials cannot have foreign citizenship or foreign permanent residence (loud applause!).
Putin says we need an amendment that guarantees the constitution is the highest law of the land, above international law.
Putin now turns his attention to the constitution, noting that the current one was adopted in 1993 during a time of crisis. Says many people are calling for a new constitution, but Putin says there is no need for that. However, he says that he will propose some amendments aimed at improving living conditions.
Russia's greatness is inseparable from the well-being of every citizen, Putin says.
Claims that Russia is leading in the global arms race and that other world powers can only dream of developing weapons that Russia already has.
- By Mike Eckel
TRASH!
Putin's mention of disposing household rubbish and trash is a hat tip to the stubborn protests that have been occurring in the northern Arkhangelsk region, in opposition to a proposal to ship Moscow region trash to a landfill near the Shiyes settlement.
There've been other environmental protests that have popped up around the country in recent years: near the town of Volokolamsk, in the Moscow region, protesters blocked a major highway and clashed with riot police last year.
In a country where opposition and anti-government protests have been steadily curtailed, the landfill protests have resonated.
Putin didn't appear to have much in the way of concrete proposals, but he did talk about need for improvements in government "ecological monitoring" for pollution in air, water, and soil.
Now turns to international affairs and notes that local conflicts can quickly turn into global problems. Calls for the political will and wisdom to deal with these through the United Nations. Calls on nuclear-weapons powers to work together to improve global stability. Russia is "open to cooperation" with all partners and is not interested in forcing others to conform to its will, he says.
Now turns his attention to the upcoming 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Says Soviet victory in the war continues to "inspire" Russia today. Warns of efforts to misinform about the war and says Russia is creating the world's largest archive of war-related documents to present the "truth" to the world.