[TIME] Person of the Year 2007

Vladimir Putin by Miguel A. Lopes "Migufu".

In a somewhat surprise move, TIME Magazine's Person of the Year for 2007 is none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite his run-ins with the US President George W. Bush over a number of issues and a few unsettling associations with allegations of a return to the old regime, TIME Magazine chose to recognize his many achievements during his 8 years are president and the fact that he makes it more than clear precisely who is running Russia these days.

I doubt this achievement of sorts will be globally accepted given the many freedoms Putin's government has curtailed in order to consolodate control and his more controversial views on a number of issues here and there. He's no crowd-pleaser either - he's all business and no nonsense to the core. The article about him as Person of the year had this interesting quote from a man who is no stranger to controversy as well - Henry Kissinger:

"He does not rely on personal charm. It is a combination of aloofness, considerable intelligence, strategic grasp and Russian nationalism."

Despite all the dirt surrounding his name, I have to admit I tend to admire the hardline views of Kissinger on the political arena.

The TIME article is lengthy but certainly proves the point of why Putin deserves to be their Person of the Year and needs to be watched closely as a major political force in Russia and the world in the coming years. Interestingly enough, the runners-up are Al Gore, J.K. Rowling, Hu Jintao and David Petraeus.