The Truth About Putin’s Russia

It's time to review what the real situation is in Russia under Putin's rule, and how it offers nothing substantial the USA can use. Russia is an authoritarian regime, having an Economist Intelligence Unit democracy index rank of 122nd in the world (out of only 167 nations), behind places like Libya (95th), Iraq (113th), Algeria (118th), and Nigeria (120th), and barely ahead of Ethiopia (123rd), Cuba (127th), Rwanda (132nd), and Angola (133rd). Putin's Russia has also become less democratic over time, reversing any hope we had for this country to climb out of authoritarian rule after the Cold War ended. Putin -- a former KGB officer -- also has his political opponents and critics silenced, either by assassination or jailing.

Let's consider how some basic governance indicators have changed in Russia since the mid-1990s:

• its voice and accountability ranking -- the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media -- has declined from the 37th percentile in 2000 down to 23rd in 2011.
• its control of corruption ranking -- the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as "capture" of the state by elites and private interests -- has declined from the 17th percentile in 2000 down to 13th in 2011.

Russia's current corruption perceptions index rank is tied for 133rd out of 176 countries, making it one of the most corrupt regions out there. Its press freedom index rank is 148th out of 179 nations, behind countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cambodia. The Heritage Foundation ranks Russia 139th out of 177 nations on its economic freedom index. The USA under Obama? Ranked 10th by this right-wing think tank. Investment, property, and labor freedoms have all declined significantly under Putin's regime and are at third-world levels. The Fraser Institute has Russia ranked 84th out of 141 countries for its overall economic freedom. As offensive as Obama's presidency is to many conservatives, Putin's dictatorship provides no positive guidance on how to deal with America's problems either at home or abroad. The answers lie in the writings and recommendations of America's founding democratic fathers and principled conservatism, not with a cheap Eurasian thug.