LITHUANIA - Who's Running Russia?

Vladimir Putin’s pyramid of rule: Who really governs Russia? Dr. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Marius Laurinavičius, Vytautas Keršanskas Monday, August 4, 2014 In Lithuania and in the West, Putin's system of rule is still often described as a monolith pyramid. In the eyes of society, Putin manages to present himself as an irreplaceable leader-statesman (‘tsar’, according to the West), solely making key decisions. But such an understanding of ruling processes in Russia is one of the main mistakes which prevents from obtaining a deeper insight into the regime's origins and foundations. What is a ‘collective Putin’? “The Russian authorities do not comprise a strict vertical structure, ruled by one person. The vertical image is nothing more than a propaganda cliché. The Russian authorities are a conglomerate of clans and groups which compete with one another for resources and power. Putin's role in this system remains the same – that of an arbiter and moderator. And it is an influential one – he, at least during conflicts, has the final say. Since 2000, the style of making political decisions (its formation was influenced by various factors) has been shifting towards that of the USSR's Politburo (political bureau). The creation of national corporations in politics and economy had a huge influence on using this model. ... [Article Headings] Insights – not very fresh Viktor Cherkesov – the system’s example Actual and alleged opposites Main clans Medvedev – the pocket supervisor of Putin’s system Current system's roots Features of state capitalism Corruption is the basis of the regime Examples of elite control SOURCE http://en.delfi.lt/central-eastern-europe/vladimir-putins-pyramid-of-rule-who-really-governs-russia.d?id=65432116

Above is an article from a Lithuanian source.

Taking a stab, the article's most likely got an anti-Russian agenda.  

But I've only briefly eyed the article (and tend to make up my mind about stuff very quickly. LOL).

It appears the gist is that there's cliques behind the scenes, and that Putin's the middle-man.

Anyone that's interested in a read can link above.  I might have to run it off and read it at leisure.

The guys who wrote the article are:

Dr. Laurynas Kasčiūnas

A chubby, youngish looking academic/lecturer at Vilnius uni (ie capital of Lithuania), foreign policy guru ... yadda, yadda, yadda ...who is also speaker in the Lithuanian parliament.

Marius Laurinavičius

Mono-browed and greying, Lithuanian journalist and political commentator. 

Vytautas Keršanskas

A baby-faced pretty boy, who is an intern/assistant to an MP in Lithuania's unicameral (one house) parliament.

Baby-face is also a journalist and political commentator, among other achievements.

Lithuania

Lithuania is a member of:

• United Nations (1991)
• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
• NATO and its companion North Atlantic Coordinating Council
• Council of Europe
• European Union
• World Trade Organization (2001)

So it would be fair to say that Lithuania is pretty much bound up with the US and with US allies, and that it is bound both militarily and commercially.

It also appears to have a grudge against being a member of the former soviet union.  LOL

Lithuania has this issue to contend with:

Human trafficking

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that about 1,000 citizens of Lithuania fall victim to trafficking annually. Most are women between the ages of 21 and 30 who are sold into prostitution. [wikipedia]

Reference document is - here.  It is a 2010 PDF document, judging by its address.

Here's a little on human trafficking in Lithuania:

Factors That Contribute to Human Trafficking Infrastructure 

There is a high level of unemployment and a lack of education among Lithuanian women and minors in prostitution and those who are trafficked in Lithuania. Poverty causes trafficking victims to look for any form of income and can leave them vulnerable to promises of high - paying jobs in Western Europe. Even those with jobs are paid very little, and women earn less than men. There is a strong organized criminal presence in Lithuania, as well as a deeply entrenched patriarchal culture that may facilitate the trafficking of women as commodities. [here]

Anyway, that's a bit of interesting background to the article.

Look forward to finding out who's running Russia - or who Lithuania thinks is running Russia.  LOL.

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Excuse any typos; I'm in a hurry.