http://www.time.com/...
Yearly, whenever TIME Magazine selects their Man/Woman of the Year, it seems to come at the end of an endless string of debates, will they/won't they, and the cursory asking of current celebes who they think TIME should choose post facto. It occurs to me that, rather than discussing with their readers who they would like to see as the biggest catalyst of the times (notice that their readers were the "Man/Woman of the Year"), ultimately, the decision is left up to the mythological editorial board and editor in chief. It seems as if TIME, and any other news magazine, for that matter, refuses to succumb to the reality of the Internet electronic age: reguardless of the quality of the investigation, the depth of the analysis, or the seniority having been present on the stands, the Internet age has ushered in the fact that everyone who claims a level of expertise in a field will institute a level of insight (relevant or not) into a discussion (asked for or not) to insist their voice be heard (wanted or not), and that issues be recycled, reguardless of the facts.
Yet I find for a change that TIME magazine may actually be ahead of the curve for a change. TIME, and its international staff write extensively of the person and the persona of Putin that has such of sadistic grip over Russia and an increasingly strangulating grip over the minority factions within his borders (no one is contesting the disaster of how the Moscow theater hostage crisis was handled; however, in the wake of the Beslan school, the "Black Widow Chechan Rebels" are said to be much more calculating in attacks since). No longer, in my opinion and an analysis is China OR India going to be the countries to invest in or to discuss at the stock tables. These countries have overstayed their welcome at the NYSE, and as their countries find that the wave of Western dollars do not reach equally to all corners of their lands, they are scrambling to catch the holes in their legal systems before desprately poor criminals rewrite law for their own benefit. Moreover, these countries have become so Western-ized in some parts of their countries, revolutions are burgeoning in other parts to take back the identity that it is felt that the U.S. (most specifically) has bribed out of it. In contrast to other parts of the universe, America is not a country to mimic, but to learn from, and to run from.
Putin has carefully watched and learned from the follies of these leaders. His relationship to Minister Hu Jin Tao has been fragile, but continues to grow in proportion to the fact that Russia, in its own rights, is becoming more active in the African oil sector (understandably, the sluggishness that is witnessed here on Putin's part has allowed the ire felt from the genocide in the Darfur/Chad areas to be focused moreso on China and U.S. governments; however, if Putin is not cautious here, he may find himself and his governmental constituents to also be the focus of arguments and protests). Moreover, the seemingly bizarre behavior that Putin brings to the table as a means to impressing the superiority of his ideologies (I recall the Russian flag being planted on the floor of the Artic) is calculated, not the least as a means to an end to emphasize the organization within the Duma.
Russia, not China or India, is the one to watch, and finanacially invest in, within the next 25 years. China and India have held through their day--already, allegations of steriod abuse are surfacing from the Chinese Olympic Committee, and Japan is embarassing China in sports such as ice skating, diving, and (according to the olympic grapevine) is putting together quite a team for the Bejing 08 games. This in itself isn't so unusual; Japan historically has had a strong showing athletically. But to show up it's coastal neighbor on its hometurf...Que horror!
India, for its part, will continue to expand its economic universe into all 4 corners. Notably, during the Musharraf dustup, India took no stand and stayed out of it (bravo!). Moreover, as the "green living" ideologies have expanded, India has made its concepts more readily availible to the inquiring minds, specificially those of yoga, meditation, etc. New ideas? No. Chic and reinventive? Indeed--and a boon to the country.
And here again Putin culturally takes notes--the day will dawn when it is en vogue to be a Mongol, to be KGB. Until that day, quiet, silent, and steady, Putin stands by--taking your oil investment money all the way.