From here.
Putin is neither a communist nor socialist. Russia’s social safety net is pathetic to non-existent, and the economy is basically a capitalist (and crony-capitalist) free-for all riddled with organized crime. If right-wing is defined by economic policy and reactionary attitude to social issues (which is the standard definition), Putin is, in fact, the right-wing authoritarian dictator the Foxbots would kill to have in the US, the vanguard of the fascism Putin is always accusing Ukraine of having. Putin is wish-fulfillment for the American right, and oh, so manly to boot.
So Putin is basically a rightwing authoritarian? How much of this critique is true? Can any of you on the Left critique this paragraph?
I do know that much of the economy is still state-owned and the state also owns partial (often 1/2) share in many other enterprises. The KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) supports Putin. The state still spends a vast amount of money at all levels. How is this US-style neoliberal/laissez faire economics? Someone clue me.
