Putin is not a dictator since he came to power after the elections. And he did it 3 times (even 4, if his muppet Mevdedev elections counts too). I'd say he is conservative and authoritarian personality. But not a dictator like Š¯itler, Stalin, Mao, Kaddafi, Saddam or leaders of North Korea were. Here is Russia we have all modern basic freedoms and rights, various opposition forces, and pro-market liberals, who have key posts in the economic block. Anyways our overall political system is awful. We just have no real alternative, and even if you would chose between Putin, Zyuganov, Mironov, Zhirinovsky and some freaks and nonamers every 4 years, like we do - you would also chose Putin in the end, or would just shoot yourself from despondency. I could create a huge wall of text to explain how things stand with the policy in our country, but it most succinctly expressed in the word "shit". Honestly I don't think that the situation in so-called "democratic" countries is far better, when I see leaders like Francois Holland.