Here is an excerpt from Jasper Gerard's interview (Arrogant? No, I'm just the best) with Garry Kasparov. [Via Volodymyr Campaign: "Join our campaign for free speech and democracy throughout the former Soviet Union."]
So will Putin break his pledge to step down in 2008? "So far, everything he has said, he has done the opposite. Bush said, 'I have looked into his soul'; don't look at his soul, look at his record." (TimesOnline.co.uk, 03/20/05.)
More reading material:
- Kasparov Trades Chess For Politics - Radio Free Europe / Radio Free Liberty.
- Opposition manoeuvres to place Kremlin's grandmaster in check - The Guardian.
- Kasparov tired of being a pawn to Putin - International Herald Tribune.
Did you watch the Charlie Rose show?
Related: My post, THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY: BOOM OR BUST? PART II.
UPDATE 03/29/05:
Here is a post from HBL by Edward Cline (posted here with permission).
This morning Gary Kasparov, the retired Grand Master of chess, was interviewed on the Charlie Rose show (a very civilized talk show, not barbaric like O'Reilly's show or Hannity's).
Kasparov is a very articulate speaker, whose English is better than that of most American politicians. He gave a very good analysis of Russia's current political situation, pointing out, among other things, that Vladimir Putin wants to eliminate the word "election" from the language; that Bush lost at the recent summit meeting with Putin because Putin correctly regarded his demands for "Russian democracy" as just a lot of hot air, and not to be taken seriously; and that most European governments pose as neutral towards Putin's march to authoritarian rule but actually approve of it.
Kasparov said he wanted to see the same kind of political "revolution" in Moscow that occurred in Kiev, but knew it would take time because his fellow Russians are inured to being bossed around by the likes of Putin.
In an interesting exchange between Rose and Kasparov, Rose insisted that advances in computer technology must eventually lead to computers beating men at chess every time. Kasparov dismissed the idea, saying that this will never happen, because men can think, and computers cannot.
He also noted that he was the best chess player because he was always pitted against the best in competition; going up against the best demanded that he exceed his own record. He more or less (that is, tactfully) dismissed Bobby Fischer as a flash in the pan and an odd person.
Kasparov plans to enter Russian politics. Rose asked him if he thought that Putin worried about him. Kasparov replied, "I don't give a damn if he is or isn't."
A man to watch.
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