Putin/Yukos update

Putin and the Russian Prime Minister seem to be a bit at odds over this Khodorkovsky/Yukos affair. But Putin has once again publicly declared that there is no intention to return to the heavy-handed state approach of the past. article

Some folks are understandably nervous, and will be listening and watching very closely to every move.

[Deputy Prosecutor General Vladimir Kolesnikov, blaming wealthy businessmen] for a range of offenses including stealing old people's pensions and contributing to the plight of "homeless kids sniffing glue in the streets,"....said: "Those who are not in jail yet should think hard about what they are doing in the end."

That can't have eased fears too much.

But, hey, I'm not all that sold on privatization of a country's natural resources, and I'm absolutely convinced that these private companies do commit fraud and crimes against the public, so I think it's about time somebody somewhere started scaring a few of them.

Here's a link to all the links I've gathered on this deal to date. I'm not able to understand the complexities of the situation, but it seems obvious to me that there is some justifiable concern about America having contol of Russian oil companies. Yukos was reportedly about to become partners with Exxon/Mobil and just replaced Khodorkovsky with a Russian who had been living in America for 20 years and is assisted by two Americans. And apparently another big Russian oil company is foreign (American?) controlled, unless I really miss my mark and Robert Dudley (president and chief executive officer of TNK-BP, Russia's third-largest oil firm) is a Russian name. article

I can certainly understand why Putin would be making some moves to get a handle on this situation. And I also have no doubt that the charges against Khodorkovsky are legitimate. The question would by why, if some of them stem from 1964, he's just now been arrested. And the answer would seem to be that the real threat of an American take-over of Russian oil is only now being seen.

It's not as if I'm making all this up. But it's also not as if I know anything about politics and corporate schemes except that they seem to go hand in hand and the common people always seem to come out losers.

Anybody with some better analysis or even just some opinions, please let Nell (sidebar) know.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.