by Nomad
A St. Petersburg professor asks the question a lot of people have been wondering: How long will President Putin be able to hold onto power?
The Real Reason why Putin is Still Around
Professor of the Department of Economics at the European University in St. Petersburg, Dmitry Travin, points out in an article for The Moscow Times, that, even though the corruption of the ruling authorities is "too obvious for thinking people to hold out any hope of progress" the Russian authorities have been effective at suppressing (or at least, discouraging) mass protests.
It would appear, Travin postulates, that Putin's expiry date will come when he himself sets the date.
But why? What could account for Putin's political longevity, which in modern Russia is the only measurement of success?
The answer is something that many Americans long accustomed to a certain degree of political tranquility, (at least until recently) tend to overlook: stability.
