--- Also yup. Putin is a pragmatic, patriotic KGB man who does seem to be doing a damn fine job. He's the first competent Russian leader since Stalin, which makes him the first competent non-mass mudering Russian leader in a long time. --- -Wouldn?t you consider Kruschev a competent leader too?
Alexandre --- On the foreign-policy front, sure. Domestically, there was the brilliant "let's plant vast fields of corn in Siberia!" plan. People still make Khrushchev corn jokes.