Someone must have a sick sense of humor

[threeplusfire]

From my wise LJ friend of many years, alexpgp:

Vladimir Putin has been selected as Time's "Man of the Year."

On one level, that's pretty surreal. Almost as surreal as the idea of a crab whistling on a hill, somewhere, watching a pig fly.

Cheers...

I don't think I could express it any better.

Comments

[kokopopo.livejournal.com]

Well, Stalin was Man of the Year at least once, and they seem pretty similar to me.

[tla]

And hey, it looks like Hitler had the distinction the year before Stalin's first turn.

[deatonjr.livejournal.com]

Time's "Man of the Year" distinction hasn't historically gone to the most "politically correct" candidate. It's gone to the person or persons they feel has influenced global events the most. This has changed in recent years, however. For example, they had selected Osama Bin Laden over George W. Bush (who won) in 2001, but Bin Laden was removed from the nominees because of global events of that year.

[twilight.livejournal.com]

What the fuck? Why? He's started to return Russia to its former Soviet ways, and we commend him on this?

First Six Apart, and now Time Magazine? What's next?

We've got Big Brother to deal with, and now we're having to also deal with Big Bratva? In the US?

[disclaimer: opinions are totally mine, and are in no way affiliated with my employer. I know you know, but with the new owners of this place...]

Looks like Time had to put out a disclaimer of their own. Too bad the world considers it an honor.

[twilight.livejournal.com]

"TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. Putin is not a boy scout. He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech. He stands, above all, for stability—stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years." --Time Magazine

[delchi.livejournal.com]

As alot of ppl ( at Time ) have pointed out, its nt meant to be an indicator of the best most happy good for the world person - it's meant to be the most influential person, for good or bad. I lookaed at teh history of the ' person of the year ' ... even Hitler made it in at one point.

Strange world.