internet, i find that people do not really know the history of our country. i say i may 17 century or an 18th-century republican, they have no idea. especially young people. if you go to article 4, section 4 of our constitution, there's only one form of government guaranteed, and that is a republican form of government. if you do not know the history of our country, you will be brainwashed into believing we are a democracy. and we are not. there are people like the signers of the declaration of independence and you go on to the people and you look up their statements, look of the background, read the first

renditions of our congress. there was the continental congress and our present congress and you read the words that you say -- that they say and you will find that no one presently -- i do not care if they are democrats or republicans. and i think the democratic party is just a communist party. the parties do not even know that we are in for public. host: let me jump in there and give one last call from sheilah in philadelphia. social networking and its impact on the process, what do you say, sheila? caller: i am calling on a couple of comments that a couple of callers made. you know, the man that called and talked about slavery being instituted in africa it was different slavery than what it was here in the colonies. no one was a slave for life.

no one was passed down to your children like cattle and property. you were a slave for a certain length of time to work off whatever you owed the man who held to as a slave. you were like an indentured servant. host: that being said, social networking these days, all of the media outlets, what has the impact in? -- what has the impact been? caller, turned down the sound. caller: social networking these days, you talk about the country been so polarized. this country has always been polarized. it has just had that fake face on it. and to everyone out there, the white house is not a wide only house. it is a white house that will have not only an african- american, there will be hispanics, asian. there will hopefully one day be in it american.

host: we appreciate all of your thoughts this friday morning, the first day of 2010. "washington journal" will be back tomorrow as every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern time for another look at the issues. thanks to 74 people for calling in today, plus, your twitter messages and postings on facebook. see you tomorrow. . .

and >> this is a look at our schedule. >> all this week, we've been showing you a rare glimpse into america's highest court threw on the record conversations with 10 supreme court justices about their court and the history of the supreme court building. justice sandra day o'connor was nominated to the bench to fill justice stewart's seat. she talked about to roll the founding fathers envisioned and the ropes that the justices wear. just as sotomayor was nominated by president barack obama, his first appointment, replacing justice david souter.

interfirst television interview, justice sotomayor talked about her first impressions of the job, her first oral arguments experience and the call she received from president obama asking her to be his nomination to the court. we will have boasts of those interviews for you tonight. -- we will have both of those interviews for you tonight. an interview with supreme court clerk william suter. that is saturday at 7:00 p.m. eastern. "the economist" held a conference. a political cartoonist talks about some of the most talked- about persons in the world. this is about 20 minutes.

>> please welcome cal calleher. >> how are you guys doing? i am excited to be here with you guys today. i'm going to talk to you about something that i find extraordinarily exhilarating, and that is faces. i have been watching you guys during the coffee breaks, looking into closely. i noticed one thing. everybody here has a face. some of you might be two- faced. what if someone could take your

face and take the face apart and reassembled it under their control? that is if formidable character. and that is what "the economist" has been paying me to do for 33 years. as we are looking ahead, i want to look at a particular face and what may happen to it over the next year. i think the best way for me to inform you about that face is to talk about some of the faces in the past and of the present. i will pay you a picture, several pictures to that effect. i want to start with a slide show. i thought it would be important to start with some of my early work to inform you a little bit about the work. that is abraham lincoln. my first caricature from first grade. i did start my life as a caricaturist doing it on the

street. this is in london trade ec dozens if not hundreds of faces over time and you learned about the pattern and shape of faces and what to look for that is distinct to you as an individual. when i started back in 1978, it was during the era of margaret thatcher. this is over 100 covers i have done for "the economist" over my career. they all have been fascinating and interesting in their own way. some characters supply you with more material than others. then you have the opportunity to cover historic events and a big personality. caricatures offer help to find the white people remember important event throughout history. thus like cartoons -- that is

why cartoons are often seen in history books. the bush cartoon kept on giving and giving. sometimes i get confused which one is bush. i am not so sure. he was a character who's face got more exaggerated the longer he was in office. we talk about tony blair. he is saying, that is good, tony. make my day, sadam. his time in office got him lost a bid in the middle east. in addition to doing cartoons, when i drop my caricatures, i am also thinking of them in 3-d. so i made a sculpture of george bush life-size that i turned into a 3d character.

i get used to his face. these are characters from today that we know. you can see the characters who play big roles here in washington. lieberman has made a resurrection of late. he has a great face. you can figure your thumbs moving through his muscles. some people who do not want to go away, thank goodness. the cartoonists were cheering when john mccain nominated her. we knew we would have a good time for a while. let's go to president barack obama. when a politician first comes into the public limelight, the characters are very close to the photographs. over time, the face gets more and more exaggerated. when we had the election and

post election, this was barack obama. it looked like he was smiling all the time. during the campaign, i made a 3 d model of him. i was on may 6-city tour with an improv group or i could talk to the sky and he would talk back. it was very effective. -- i could talk to this guy. you are, no doubt, a reader. >> it was very effective at the time. when he got into office, things started to change. he became more serious. you can see the guy saying, careful, the great satan is opening his paw. when it was time to deliver the stimulus, he had to take on a different position. he did not look as exciting.

as became a time to give new orders in afghanistan, a much more serious character. i want to leave this slide up here. i want to show you a little bit of what goes into the drawing of these characters. when i set up to draw someone, the first thing i look for is the shape of their head. it is interesting you can spot someone from across the room and you could recognize them without knowing the subtleties of the face because the shape of their head is a distinguishing characteristic. i want to start with someone who is back in the news now. this is al gore. al gore has a distinctive shape to his head that kind of goes up one line like this and the other

line like this. that is where you start with al gore. then you give from this hair, very reagan-esque hair. he has the ears of spock. then he has this long, bony nose. flaired nostrils that connect at the bottom. he has kind of an elvis-like mouth. here is the key bit. he lost the election because of florida. a few hundred votes in florida. no, that was not it. he lost the election because he has the eyes of death. and that is out more for you. amo i right?

it doesn't help that he has those bolts sticking out of his neck. we will sign this one here. here you go. for you. let's get another character with a distinctive face. john kerry. long face, right? here is his face. it starts up here. long face. long face. oh, yeah. look at that. look at that. this is better. [laughter] it goes up like this and his nose comes like this and his hair like this. and his ears like this and there is a line here and there line here. what do you think? john kerry.

not bad. who wants john kerry? right there. you with the white shirt. good way to start a riot. let's go with another democrat. let's try bill clinton. bill clinton. work on a profile. to get the kind of singular line of his face. he has kind of a turned-up nose. kind of a turned-up mouth. and the bagsg of his eyes. this is really hard because he travels a lot and they charge for every extra bag. then he has the used car salesman aircraft. and then put it back.

this is the bit. this distinguishes the man. what do you think that bill clinton. you saved me before. he gets this one. let's go to h.w. bush. let's go straight to w. bush. you really need three sheets of paper. i want you to use your imagination. the nearesears can never be too. the images show you quickly where you go with him. perry strong flared nostrils -- very strong flared nostrils. his chin is a w. little tiny eyes.

then we at the perdd the ears. we have lines like this which i call the perplexoids. then his hair there. what you think? george w. bush. not bad. who wants this one? but get on to president barack obama -- let's get onto barack obama. he had a young face when a first ran for office. but now it is a combination of gravity and gravitas have worked their toll on his face. you only need to see pictures of any president and their faces age at an exponential rate. a first will drop barack obama

from a profile to give you some idea of what i am looking -- i first will draw barack obama for my profile. the eriars. the sunlight hits him here. it casts a heavy shadow on his eyes. can see someone from a distance. they tend to be small. his nose is quite small. he has a strong upper lip. you can see his face start to appear in front of you. one of the things in drawing him, the style of his portrait, i noticed something. he was born in hawaii. the more i look at him, the more i think he was not born in

hawaii. i think he was born on easter island. i think fed is more of what he looks like. so we have obama. -- i think that is more of what he looks like. but get this frame in the back. you can have a look at the drawing in the back. look at the alliance on his face. they will gain attention -- look at the lines on his face. they will gain attention. the way he moves, the way he talks. just like many presidents, the second year in office is when you start getting the good impersonators. you get to understand what these characters look like and act like in all sorts of situations. we get to know their faces and

start pulling it apart. i am going to do two quick versions to show you where i am now and where it might be going. we are going to start from the front correct you have the yeae here. he has the round head. we're going to have the strong winds. little eye. here is the oval. this line here. this muscle you say that would get more and more accentuated. plessey has this little thing -- plus, he has this little thing. this little muscle moving. then this line is also going to get stronger. his upper lip is like that. barack obama.

let's show you what he will look like in all little while. let's get my new pad up. we will stick this one here. texas won off here. what he will look like in a year -- this part of his head will get rounder. the yearears will get bigger. a lot of accentuation. you'll not see him smiling a lot. very long gechin. that will be enough to define barack obama in years to come. his chin will get longer. more lines out there. that leads me to a couple of predictions. we will see the president get older. i want to show you what might

happen. can we get the slides backups? ok. this cartoon took place early in this time of president. in 100 days, he was beginning to get a little gray. 500 days, it is going pretty fast. 1000 days, watch out. coming around now for his reelection bid in 2012. this is what we might say. he better fix social security fast if that is the case. i have one final prediction. it has to do with this new calendar we just came out with. it has in illustrations for route, top and bottom. when "the economist" approached me to do a calendar, we put some calendars on the top.

today, anybody can do that on their laptop. the digital world is so abasing. to do something special, you have to do something hand-drawn. -- the digital world is so amazing. more and more digital work is replacing what was the conventional way of delivering art and information in publications and animation. it was all done by hand. it is also. i think -- is awesome. as it moves out some of the traditional work, that work will become more and more valuable and more appreciated over time. that is my prediction for 2010 and beyond. thank you very much. [applause]

>> coming up next, some international programming. we will have an interview with stephen harper, fall by an interview with russian president men vettmedveded and russian pre minister vladimir putin. >> happy new year. we have new biographies by molly ivins. and this year's national book award. gail collins talks about -- a best-selling author takes your calls on sunday. find the full schedule at booktv.org.

michelle malkin is the guest this weekend. she takes your calls this weekend. three hours on "book tv." >> cthe ctv network. stephen harper answers questions on the canadian mission in afghanistan, climate change, and his relationship with president obama. this event runs about 40 minutes. >> welcome. we will be talking about stephen harper about the kind of year we had in 2009 and we might look

forward to in 2010. it does not seem that long ago that you were here. unless some we're talking about what you described as the great recession. you're talking about the kind of stimulus spending you would have to put in case. is the recovery sustainable? >> tactically, we're into a recovery. -- technically, we're into recovery. we do not yet have a turnaround in the job market. some of the people are not going back to work. there are some positive things. the employment situation has stabilized. 2009 has been a tough year, but not as tough in canada as other places. we're optimistic 2010 will be a

year for recovery. >> the stimulus is the big question. >> we are pretty clear. we are in the two-year stimulus program that ends at the end of the coming year. march 2011 will have a second economic action plan in march and will start to plan for the end of the stimulus. we have to keep pushing the stimulus out. we have to return to balanced budgets and continue to look at ways of what will be a more constrained financial situation in the future. activities that will lead to a strong economy. >> talking about 2010 being a year of recovery. you talked about the fact that the european and american

economies are going to continue to grow slowly. how do we get recovery when the american neighbor is it going to be going slowly? >> cassette they may grow slowly for some time. we have put -- i said they may grow slowly for some time. we have new trade agreements with eight new countries. we have important negotiations that are under way with the european union. we have a study with india. we will continue to diversify our markets. there is there reason canada cannot grow somewhat faster than some of the other developed western economies. we are in a relatively strong position. >> one of the greatest successes has been home renovation tax. everyone is taking advantage of it. it has created a lot of jobs.

materials used by many canadians. it is only for one year. can we extend this? give us a christmas present? >> you can ask me. those answers to some of those questions will have to wait till the second phase of the economic action plan in march. we're looking at ways we can continue to deliver our stimulus, to have real impact on the economy, and be in a position where we can return a balanced budget next year. >> i will take that as a yes, prime minister. another important issue. interest rates are not going to stay nearzero levels -- near zero levels for much longer. there is consumer debt and

buying houses that people cannot afford. how serious of a concerned should we take this? >> it is a concern. i would not hit the panic button right now. we are monitoring this closely. we have changed some of our rules to assure ourselves that we can avoid the kind housing bubble that had in the united states. certainly, debt levels in canada are on the high side. there are nowhere near the kind of situation we have seen in the united states. i do think families out there should remember -- mortgage rates really are at not just historic lows but unusual lows. it is inevitable that interest rates will be higher. families should budget accordingly. >> the deficit is forecast for $56 billion. you seem to be telling us that we can move forward and cover-up

this deficit without tax hikes. >> we need to exercise discipline. we have to put our deficit into perspective. it sounds large. our deficit is one of the smallest in the world. and we have low debt levels. there was a spiral in the 1980's and the 19th mid 90's. we have had a tough economic times to help people and to help the unemployed, help stimulate job creation. when the recession ends, we have to reestablish fiscal discipline. we will not be raising taxes, but will be making sure growth is very much contained in the future and? the tax base of the country cannot gradually recover. if we follow that path, we

should be back to a balanced budget. and the think that is the way to do that. we should not engage in radical approaches and program cuts or tax increases, but try to live within a disciplined constrained spending program. " the government is still hiring people. what about cuts in spending? >> in terms of the federal government, through last fall and into the budget, we insisted on a very tough contracts with federal workers. we have had job cuts. we have constraint very much the growth of wages within the public service. that will have to continue as we move towards a balanced budget. if we exercise discipline, we enter with a great fiscal position that allowed us to do a

lot of things that will be of long-term advantage to the country. coming out of it, we will have to constrain spending. if we constrain spending, we do not need to engage in radical cuts. we should find ourselves in just about the strongest fiscal position of any developed country. you went down to see the president in the white house. in the quiet we were making some progress. are we anywhere near a deal that will be satisfactory to both countries? >> i think we are making progress. i had a chat with the minister and he has been speaking with our negotiators. we believe we're making progress. i spoke to president obama about it. i remain optimistic about this. i'm worried about the bigger

picture. the buy america provisions have caused some disruptions. the vast majority of our trade with the united states is irritant-free. we're bringing in protectionist measures. the biggest danger is a spread of protectionism. global trade has driven growth. we have to say that kind of growth going forward. i am very worried about it. we not only did not put any protectionist measures in, we repealed the number of terrorists in order to stimulate economic activity. that is the example we are trying to set for the world and is the message which tried to push forward. >> we will come back and ask about your relationship with the american president.

that is always critical. that in many other topics still to come. >> mr. harper, please do something about the environment now. >> there are some pretty compelling concerns. there is the copenhagen accord. people are wondering what this is. there is an agreement but it is not legally binding. >> it is important. an important step forward. it certainly is not all we were seeking. it is not yet a legally binding accord. that is where we hope this will eventually go. there are some important steps forward. all of the countries are recognizing this is a problem. we had a big battle until very recently. they were denying that had anything to do about their

emissions. we have been asking about this for about four years. everybody is now incorrect i think the objectives are not going to satisfy all of the environmental groups. if countries hole to these objectives, they will make meaningful progress. >> canada was getting beating ten up about this. >> these are the environmental groups that have always attacked our governments and others and they are unhappy with the accords. governments have to balance progress with growth. these are not easy questions. we have a position that is held, but all countries that attended the copenhagen conference. i think it's a good accord and we will continue to work with our international partners.

the environmental groups will continue to attack us and others. >> you are talking about policy with the americans. we're talking about 20% reductions by 2020. obama's target is 17%. once that gets into the u.s. congress, it could very well be watered it down. some are saying we are allowing ourselves to have it is being held hostage by the american congress. >> this is a continental economy. we have seen in the past decade and a half that if the americans do not take realistic actions, it is difficult for canada to do much. quite frankly, factories and economic activity will relocate south of the border.

if the americans but are prepared to act, it is essential we act. since president obama came to office, one of the first things that i did, because he was committed to tackling climate change, we sat down to make sure we will be working together on all aspects of this. that will make all aspects of our job easier. we do have to work closely with our economic partners in the united states. that is the only way to make the system worked. the previous government had a kyoto accord. they sound -- they found it was unworkable without american participation. " we have to have harmonization. >> i think we have to work closely with the united states. we are so closely integrated and we have to work together.

this can provide real opportunities for canada as well because we're ultimately not just the biggest supplier of energy to the united states, where the most secure supplier of energy to the united states. >> some people have criticized you for not developing a national environmental plan, arguing the we have seen with quebec and ontario leading the way, how worried are you about the unity of the country if we get a situation where central canada is fighting with alberta over environmental policy? >> i did nothing canadians want -- i do not think canadians want to see that. we will be acting in concert with the united states on a continental basis.

we hope that all provinces will cooperate in those efforts. it is essential. only the other industry must do something. to be effective, we're going to have to have all parts of the country contributing to the solution. >> your environmental minister said he was ticked off being taken at the federal government and its attitude towards the informant by ontario and others at the conference. >> i think canadians expect when canada gets into the international realm and negotiations, they expect the debates, personal agendas will be left behind. so obviously some of that was unfortunate. in the end, it was the countries

of the world that were getting together solving this problem and acting on this problem. >> to deal with the provinces so that we come but some kind of solution so we're not going to get into a unity war. >> we're not going to leave this in a direction of a unity war. the federal government is not going to go in that direction. >> easily caricatures of yourself. -- you saw the caricatures of yourself. maybe people were concerned about how you really feel in regard to climate change. tell us your stand on the environment. >> in terms of climate change, the preponderance of scientific evidence is that global warming is real. there has been controversy

around the scandal. these are complex scientific matters. they're projecting well into the future. there is considerable debate about this. the overwhelming preponderance of scientific evidence is that this is a serious problem that we need to tackle. getting every country and every promisvince and understanding tt these have real impact on the economy. it is a complex problem. it is not a simple matter of having moral outrage. one has to develop a plan that will reduce emissions in a way that will not cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs in the middle of a recession. >> and that is a fine balance that continues on. >> long term. in the short term, it is very

difficult to reduce emissions without affecting economic activity. that is a very real problem. so little has been done on this. the solution has a big technological change away from carbon intensive energy sources. governments are investing tens of billions of dollars in these research projects. we have a long way to go to get where we need to dig in the next 10 to 20 years. >> do think people face a carbon tax? " i hope not. -- do you think people faced a carbon tax? >> i hope not. obviously we're looking to avoid any kind additional taxes on canadians.

that is a pretty firm priority of this government. >> there has never been a proven allegation of abuse. >> i have a question. what are you going to do about afghanistan? >> the detainee controversy has been a thorn. what are you going to do about it now? would you close down the session of parliament? >> in terms of the afghan detainee controversy, if they expect to 2006. i am hearing the same stories. the government its first year of office and working with our military, we instituted a number of improvements to our transfer arrangement. i think they have worked pretty

well for the past three years or so. one of the great successes of the missions. it is not perfect but i think it is working well today. in terms of late spring session of parliament, we're looking at a new set of legislations but we've not made any final decisions. >> this session is still in place. >> haven't decided what to do. we will be bringing forward a new budget in march. we have not taken any decisions on a number of those things, questions of filling senators. >> one argument the conservatives say it makes sense is that your government has been frustrated in the senate because they have been changing legislation by the house of commons. i know in january you'll get

five new senators but you will not get control of the committee system. >> there has been some pretty important legislation. i can think of three bills allowing the government to institute mandatory recall of products. they cracked down on auto theft. these things have all but frustrated in the senate. we're looking at opportunities to take care of that problem. canadians are clear on these measures. in terms of filling the senate seats or other actions, i have not made any decisions. >> there is a perception when it comes to detainees. your government is covering up or trying to deny information, military complaints or to the parliamentary commission or to parliament itself.

is there a coverup going on? >> of course of. your viewers should be clear. -- of course not. the government cannot order the documents to be withheld. they are released or with help based on the law. there are lawyers who a minister these at arm's life. i think the facts are clear. there were problems with the agreement that we inherited when we came to office. our diplomats made efforts as this all problems to fix things. i think we have a pretty good record. >> aren't you losing a perception? you could have said these prisons are not the best places. we do not think anyone is being tortured. you can never be sure. you guys were saying, absolutely

not possible. " wherever there has been evidence of problems, the military have taken appropriate action. i think canadians understand. let's be clear. these about allegations against the government of canada or against canadian military personnel. these are problems in the government of afghanistan in its correction program. canadian military officials have handled themselves with the highest of standards of behavior at all times. we should be very proud of that. we should be spending our time doing thinking about some of these military personnel and their families whose lives are endangered and thanking them for their tremendous effort they have done in a violent country. >> the opposition party has been saying you are in essence a

bully for having watchdog commissions and denying information, not giving the money for the parliamentary budget officer, taking the alexian's as brick -- taking the elections. >> i find the document story quite amusing. tens of thousands of pages of documents have been released. the government follows polothe s at all times. some of these cases have been thrown out of court. i am confident that our diplomats handle this situation. >> would you release those documents? " the government does not decide which documents are released or not released. these decisions are made by

lawyers following pull laws that are on the books >>. . >> government lawyers are required to follow laws. >> what you make of these ambassadors who said you have mistreated richard coleman and that this is going to make it difficult for the civil servants to be able to give you truthful advice or the best device the possibly can? are you facing some kind of backlash from this? >> there are people concerned about some of the charges coleman made against his fellow diplomats. our military officials have been before the parliamentary committee. they have been refused. >> 2011, the mission in afghanistan. what is going to happen after that time and stacks >ends?

>> this is the track we have been on. we have been stepping up our efforts to train afghan security forces so they can handle a greater load of the data. we have been trying to transition to a more civilian- oriented mission. i noticed what president obama has done in terms of the additional troop commitments. the surge. but also in terms of how he structured the mission. the emphasis is on training and drawing down. i think it is a confirmation that we have been on the right track. afghanistan is going to remain a challenging theater for the world as will the problems in

neighboring countries. >> are you now confident that agreement signed is not going to expose canadian forces in afghanistan between now and 2011 to participating in geneva-based war crimes as a result of possible torture guest:? that is why -- >> we thought we had a good agreement prior to that. there were some deficiencies. at all times, when we get information that requires us to improve, that is what we have done. i think the system has been working well since then. it has not been perfect. we stopped transfers on a couple of publications. but i think we have adequate monitoring in place and a program to help develop the afghan prison system itself and

we think we're making progress on these things. >> we have had a lot of trouble this year. it has been interesting. i'm probably in need of elizabeth of rest. >> has been in place about a year now. -- i probably need a little bit of rest now. >> you should know what i have always said. the prime minister of canada has an obligation to establish a good relationship with the president of the united states because the united states is so important to our economic interest. they are our best ally and closest neighbor. they are our best friend and we should not forget that. we have established a good relationship. we have worked well at some of

these international meetings. we have been looking to align on security issues and a think we're making progress on some difficult issues. i do not envy president obama. his challengers are much greater than mine, not just the fact that the united states has much more global responsibilities, but the problems in the inner states with the economy, health care, there's so much deeper. i do not envy his position. we're there and to try and be helpful while protecting our own interests. >> you're just recently in china. i would like to get your reaction of the premier in china, who seemed to be giving you a dressing down. they are powerful players in the

world. >> i have met president hu many times before. i have had a chance to have bilateral meetings at a number of these international summits. what strikes me most about the chinese leadership is the degree to which it is a collective leadership. you can meet any number of chinese leaders in any number of situations and their lines are all the same. they worked -- the communist party is not a charismaticly leader-driven party. they want to have good productive relations with others. we're dealing with a different kind of political system. to be effective without, you have to be open and a firm in

defending your interest. these are people who know what they want. " all the western countries still regard al qaeda as a great threat. is there another foreign threat to use the booming now? the americans seemed to be a pointeri intoraing otto iran. >> there is a threat in any particular, petrae countries. these are governments that are attempting to be nuclear powers and for no good reason. i have great concern about the government of iran, matches its nuclear ambition, but combined with its malignant ideologies. anti-israeli, anti-western.

this is a real danger in the world. when we're at the g-8 and other countriessummits, we coordinater efforts we can. these are things that you can lose sleep about. >> how worried are you of an israeli attack >>? i am worried about iran and the combination of its ideologies and its threats to israel. we should be concerned about this. i have expressed my concerns in the strongest possible white wheat to our international partners. >> what are our people sang directly to iran? >> we have been leading the world in terms of expressing our concerns and our propulsion at

present ahmadinejad's statements. we have led through several years condemning the human rights records. i don't think anyone is under any illusions of were the government of canada stands. they have threats to others and the desire to get nuclear weapons. >> we will be continuing with one final block for our audience and we will have some important questions coming to you in just a moment. >> ♪ happy birthday to you >> how does a guy like you keep in shape? >> my question for you is, do you plan to write another hockey book?

>> what kind of resolutions will be making for this coming year? >> how do you stay in shape? >> my doctor would tell you i do not. since i became prime minister, i tried to be a little better. i have lost a little bit of weight. i have been playing a little bit of tennis and ping-pong. the problem i have and the way i've tried to keep in shape physically is doing >> i have trouble beating him anything. >> what about the hockey book? >> i actually have made good progress. we do have a little bit of research left to do. this is a book on an early team. it is really a monograph.

it is for people who are really specialized in hockey. it is a distraction for me. we are actually starting to make some progress. i can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this. >> what is your new year's resolution? >> i have not made any yet. my first resolution is to just get through the next couple of days and take a little bit of down time and reflect. you know, i feel pretty good. i know it has been a difficult year for canadians, but i feel pretty good about the way the country has pulled together. i feel pretty optimistic about 2010. i feel pretty optimistic for the country going forward. we're going to be hosting the olympics. we have a bunch of international segments -- summons. the thing that we have done really well this year is that we have focused on a really

governing the country. let the opposition howell in parliament, but do not get distracted on that. it just focus on the things that matter to people. >> piano man, who convinced you to get up on stage to do that? was it your wife? >> you know the story. it was my wife who convinced me to do it. i wish she had come to me earlier, but she came to me two weeks before the concert and said, i want you to play in this gala that i am chairing. i had been practicing with this band a little bit. it was something i just did for fun. i was a bit attracted to it.

one of the advantages you get as prime minister is that you get to do things you normally would not do. i can sing a little bit, and play a little bit. i started to think to myself, if i don't do this, i will regret it. we put together a couple of practices. we had some people over and they said it was good enough to do. we must adopt the courage and did it. i was more nervous about that than anything i've ever done in public life. it seems fine now when i look back. >> i was sitting at the national arts center when you came out and i was with a bunch of liberals and there was a gasp. and they said, there is his majority. they just knew this would reach down to everybody in the population. do you think you are in a situation where you could possibly win a majority government? >> who knows? we will know in the next election. nobody wants to have an

election. the past year, the poles have looked pretty good. -- the the polls have looked pretty good. we still have a lot of work to do to get the country through this last phase of a recession. i am just not focused on an election right now. >> you mentioned the olympics. everyone is looking forward to the first gold medal won by canadians in canada, which is bound to happen this time. >> we will have more than one gold. we have a good canadian winter olympic team. since 1988, we have been building pretty constantly. i am very confident that we will see a number of gold medals. >> does that say something to do

about canadians and the way we handle our patriotism? >> i think one of the interesting things about canada right now is that in spite of the challenges we have all had, i think the country is feeling pretty good about itself. it feels pretty proud. i think people are pretty excited about hosting the olympic games. i do think that canadians, there is a deep well -- it is not patriotism in the sense we tend to see itself, the loud kind of flag-waving -- flag-waving patriotism. we have a great country. people around the world really admire our country. we are one of those countries that is big enough to have some influence, but not big enough to threaten anyone. events like this bring that out and canadians are feeling pretty good right now. they are pretty excited about the olympics and i am confident

that when it is all over, they will have reason to look back on it with considerable pride. >> will the hockey team beat anna? >> have you tried to draw me into this conversation before? we will have some pretty tough competition. the russian team is going to be very strong. obviously, we will be there cheering. i hope to go to the gold medal game. i am confident that we will be in it, but let's just remember to remind people, there is a lot more to the alembics then just hockey. i know hockey is so important to all of us, including me. it is just one aspect of what is a spectacle of athletic excellence across a range of activities without parallel. i hope that the hockey does not breed up all of the oxygen of

the olympics. -- read up -- breathe up all the oxygen. >> thank you, prime minister, for joining us. we wish you and your family all the best for the holidays and have a great 2010. >> thank you very much. i want to wish all of your viewers a merry christmas and happy new year. >> will find out whether the popular renovation tax credit will be extended. the best news here it is that the prime minister is enormously optimistic about recovery in 2010. he also talked about the environmental policy. you could see a wholesale industries moving to the united states and a loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. >> for the first time in a couple of years, he is looking forward with optimism to the

next year. >> you are watching c-span. up next, with the russian -- an interview with russian president dmitry. later, and a look at 2010. -- later, a look at 2010. >> this week, a rare glimpse into america's highest court. unprecedented on record conversations with 10 supreme court justices. >> the most symbolically meaningful moment for me during my public investiture and it was sitting in justice marshall's chair. taking the oath with my hand on

the bible. it was like history pushing -- coursing through me. >> our interviews with supreme court justices conclude tonight at 8:00 tonight. get your own copy of our original documentary on the supreme court on dvd. it is part of c-span2 american icons collection, a three disk set. one of many items available c- span.org/store. >> $50,000 in prizes for middle and high school students. top prize, $5,000. just create a five-8 minute video. it must incorporate c-span programming. enter before the january 28. winning entries will be shown on

c-span. >> on christmas eve, russian president dmitry medvedev sat down with russia's tv network. here is a portion of that event. he answered questions on the future of russia's armed forces, his relationship with relation -- prime minister vladimir putin. he also talked about the recent copenhagen conference -- climate change conference, saying he was not happy with the results of the conference. >> good afternoon. over this year, you have

repeatedly met up with our colleagues and tv networks and have discussed relevant issues of economic politics. we're grateful for you to discuss the of doing your live with these three networks. we do have something to talk about and something to remember and something to discuss 2009 has not been an easy year. to this country has come up against new challenges. how do see the outgoing year? what have with the able to do? >> this year has been very complicated. it has brought a significant amount of drama. i believe that all of our citizens have had a difficult year. the most important outcome is that we have stood our ground, we have overcome, we have continued to develop and we have

paid what is a relatively small price for the international financial economic crisis that has swept the planet. in terms of what we have been able to accomplish, i believe that these three things. we have maintained social stability. we have secured the set of social payments which were promised that we would do. not a single social obligation has been terminated. on the contrary, this year, we are moving over to a new system of paying pensions. we have started enhanced pensions. this increment is not in our terms. it is also increased payments in real terms. virtually by 30% and by 25% in real terms. next year, this effort will carry on. this is the first and most important achievement. second, we have been able to

ensure financial stability. the year started out in a very alarming way. the central bank had to take efforts to make sure that they set the house in order in the financial landing area to ensure stability, to prevent banks from -- to prevent a scenario from repeating itself as it did back in 1998. all of this was done. the financial system was stable. it is working. last year, we had a 13% inflation. the share, it will be in the 9% neighborhood. finally, we have been able to launch mechanisms of support for the enterprises. those that are too big to fail. there is not a single large enterprise that is in the middle of bankruptcy.

everyone of them has been given support. the labor force is employed. allowance have been paid and other financial support measures have been allocated and provided. these are three things that are key and i believe that we have been able to accomplish that. in terms of what we have not been able to accomplish. we still have the same economic system, one that is based on the raw materials market. primarily our fuels, our energy. this is not something that can be changed in the course of one year, but clearly this is an obstacle. it is handicapping our development. we understand that we cannot develop our economy simply by selling raw materials. when prices of raw materials plummet, that hurts our economy

very badly and very quickly. we have a lot of fun competitive enterprises that need to be modernized. it is extremely important for us that innovation based development become the dominant. finally, something that i do not think we have been able to fully take care of is to put unemployment under control. this is a complex problem. there was a program developed that did curtail the growth rate of unemployment, decrease the number of unemployed, but we have not been able to meet this challenge completely. this work will carry on. most global media have virtually in unison reported that the crisis is basically over, but it seems that a globally nothing has changed. the fundamental reasons have not -- it is more like a face

lift has taken place. >> i am afraid that this is correct. indeed, nothing has changed globally. we have several times this year met with my colleagues, the heads of state, certain mechanisms have been offered to deal with the problems that have amassed themselves in the global economy. we have started to build a financial architecture. it was completely incorrect to say that this crisis are ruled out and that the next year will be trouble free. that would be completely incorrect. all analysts agree that the recovery from this crisis will be fairly slow, unfortunately. we should hold our breath as far as the growth rate in the next year. this year, and our economy has contracted by 8.7%.

our gdp has decreased by this amount. next year, we hope, we will see an increase in the gdp. >> what kind of increase? >> it is hard to say. somewhere in the 2.5% range. best case scenario, as much as 5%. this indicates that the recovery from this crisis -- the burden of the problems that have amassed themselves in the global economy is too heavy. we also have russia's specific problems. >> going back to what you just said, why is it that modernization has been stated today as the key priority? >> that is why it has been stated as the number one priority. our economy is indeed a most

difficult period. the price of fuel is slowing and the decision to modernize our economy completely and to transition to innovation-based development. if we were still in that period of of beneficial development. however, we are absolutely confident that unless we modernize our economy, this economy has no future. even though it does rely on the vast natural resources of this country, the resources that have fed are in sisters -- and our ancestors and are feeding on us. first, we need to make better use of them. we sell a lot of gas and a lot of oil. it would be much better if we would sell refined gas and refined oil.

engage any petrochemistry and build a gas refineries next to our borders. unless we take measures to move toward a modern, high-tech economy, we will never, ever be able to overcome the technological backwardness. we will not be able to change our economy in a radical matter -- radical manner. we will be much more dependent on the cyclical nature to which the global economy is subject to every failure -- subject to. we will be reacting to them extremely quickly. the securities market terms that applies to our securities market, where the market is very dependent. it jumps back and forth. in the grand scale of things, our economy will be well tile,

if we keep basing it on selling our raw materials. -- our economy will be a molotov -- volatile. the presidential commission has been put in place to look after. this work will carry on across the entire nation. our energy efficiency, nuclear power energy -- creation, space technology, public health and development and pharmaceuticals as a priority. these sensitive areas, we must make a break. -- breakthrough. >> for russia to keep going ahead, we have to get rid of certain russian traditions.

modernization in russia has some very -- peter the great would cut heads. stalling has destroyed millions of people. when you talk about modernization, you are saying that we need to develop civil society, democratic institutions. do you indeed believe that in the country where people never expect anything good from changes, i do believe that in this country, these methods can be applied to effective modernization? >> yes. our people are strong. they're trained, skilled, and smart. they're capable of change.

they're capable of change not just under arrest. they're capable of change when they see change as an objective that is identified with their eternal goal. most of our neighbors have a virtually gone up the the same. every nation has its own history. some have had more dictatorial factors in their history than others. some less. certain countries histories has been more dramatic. other nations have been able to muster the strength and motivation to develop under the influence of goals that they set for themselves. they need to be strong, independent, powerful. so what? we can do that? -- we cannot do that? i do not deny that some of them eventually did do some good, but the methods that were used to

enforce modernization is completely unacceptable. therefore, we will beat our own path. modernization must be based on effectiveness. and on people's inner desire to change. this is the most important thing. the russian army is not what it was 10 years ago. it has given us reasons to be proud of it and yet, the russian army has its work cut out for themselves. there are many problems. >> i would like to know what your priorities are as far as the russian armed forces. >> the russian army has shown its mettle, no matter what they say. it has protected our citizens. yet, there are still problems. the material is getting

obsoletes trade the servicemen are not being adequately rewarded for their work and their service. the system of organization of the army should be different. all the necessary decisions have been made. some of them were pretty difficult to make. these decisions laid down the foundation for a new image of the armed forces of the russian federation. in line with these decisions, which i as the commander in chief have approved, all of the units -- what does this mean? units with three or four officers and a lot of material and two or three soldiers. you cannot use these in combat. these should be combat ready

units based on the modern image of our armed forces. reforms have already started in the practical sense. what does this transition mean? the minister of defence has been paying material incentives to officers who have shown themselves well. it this is a very significant increment. this is an increment that makes it possible to pay our high quality officers monetary alliance that is completely comparable with the payments that are affected in our western countries. i believe that this is something that has to be followed through in the very near future. one-third of our officers are in receipt of this increment next

year, another percentage will get it to. before 2012, all of the combat readiness units should be transitioned to the new terms of service. when they are paid appropriately, they will be asked to provide a different kind of service. technology, equipment, materials. there's a lot of construction that needs to be done. we did not invest in it. we all love our country. we love our army. there was no money left. some time ago, we have the money and started investing the money. it is an extremely difficult crisis here. we have not cut funding to the main types of weapons. new material, new weaponry will be provided in patches. they will virtually refit

completely our army materialize. it is a capital intensive gold. russia must have strong armed forces. i will do everything i can to make sure that this funding is maintained. >> we're worried about those on the other side. illegal migrants. i am in love with security bureaucrats. question, within the program you have outlined in terms of performing the ministry of interior, will there be proper attention given to financing this service? it is an open secret that the salaries received by those who are daily giving their lives to risk our at times ridiculously

low. >> of course, the system must be changed. we must look at all the components. this includes the head count. we must reduce the head count in certain areas. that could be used as a tool to ensure that formal modern effective people come to the ministry of the interior. so they will surge qualitatively and work honestly. i have a lot of friends who graduated from the university. instead of just branching out and making money, they signed up with the police. i have the highest respect for them. with their shiny university

diplomas, they found what is a very difficult cup of tea. they are doing something that is very important. they're doing something that is subject to harsh criticism. they're doing it in an honest and decent way. i believe that there is a great deal of people out there in the police that simply must be given support. >> with your permission, speaking of the tragedy that has shaken the country, the act of terror against the express train, please update us on the investigation. well the culprits be found? >> that the culprits and perpetrators will be found, i have no doubt. the investigation is going aunt and it must be going on in a confidential -- is going on and it must be going on in a confidential manner.

i am positive that the investigation, along with the operatives, is capable of finding, arresting, and bringing to court these monsters. our state is capable of doing that. in addition to the investigation proper, as far as the implications of this horrendous act of terror, we must think of the matters of security, including technological security. we must think about health security is provided along the lines of technology -- about how security is provided. think about the security of their plans. -- think about the security of airplanes and railways. we have more real ways than any country in the world. they have to be safe. they have to be safe to the

sufficient extent. instructions, in terms of analyzing what has happened, i have given it to the ministry of transport and the russian railways. proposals have been drafted and they will be funded completely. 100%. this is a mandatory requirement. what happened to in the nightclub, the fire, when we talk about the enablers, the people who made it possible, you said that these people had never brain and your conscience. it sounded very desperate. where does conscience come from? >> conscience is a moral notions

and we all have to take care of that. that is not something you are born. it is something that is in stilled in a person, from the school, a matter of religion. this is the result of the complete, unbelievable lack of discipline. beyond understanding. i just cannot comprehend how somebody can put on a pyrotechnic show in a closed environment. they invited a great number of people. what needs to be done, in addition to the fact that now everybody -- everywhere these kinds of things have been banned, the house had to be set in order. this set of legal rules has to be adopted and issued. the fire safety regulations have

to be streamlined because there is also the blame of fire safety officials. why did they not close down the club? was there a set of other problems? we have to look at it at all levels. we need to see who is responsible for this process at the regional level. we need to see how such promises are allocated for clubs. we have to start with ourselves. >> this is a very indicative example. speaking of the -- i think this is a negligent crime. it is a negligent crime and one that has resulted in the gravest of consequences. it has to be looked at extremely thoroughly so that things can never occur in the future. >> we have just talked about the

latest tragedy. i have a question about our nation in general. do you think our people have been undermined? do you think their back has been broken? do think our people have the strength and the resources for future development? if one looks at 150 years back at our history, few nations have gone through these trials and tribulations. the thought that the backbone has been broken, the will of the people is not what it used to be, do we have the strength and resources to keep moving on? that is a question that process itself. what would be your response? >> life has never been easy in

this country. that is exactly what has shaped our national character. i am absolutely confident of that. the fact that we live in a giant country in very harsh climate where to simply take care of your basic needs, one has to create feet. all of this has formed our national identity. therefore, to think that over the last 150 years, something has happened that has radically changed the etiquette of our people. something that has destroyed their will to live, this in my view is absolutely incorrect. if this had been the case, we would have lost world war ii.

we would not be able to run this new state of hours. what used to be part of this country became a territory of other countries, when families broken-down, when relationships between people and between nations broke down, when the economy deteriorated, it would seem that after that, something should have happened to drive us right under the ground. but it has not happened. we have overcome. we have stood our ground. we are now living better than we did 10 or 15 years ago. we are capable of rising to some very major challenges. we have a great deal of problems, but we're capable of meeting our goals. i am confident that no change in our national character, and our

willpower, in our energy, has taken place. nothing like that has happened. >> before you became president, you had your own special relationship with vladimir putin. has that relationship changed? the interact at work and how do you interact at work? >> we still have our special relationship. it is a relationship of friendship. i am confident it will not change. >> one of the events of this year was the change of guard in the u.s. white house. a new president, one that was very interesting in many respects, how has your relationship with this new president that evolving? do you have trust? are you capable of finding a common language with him? >> yes, indeed. i spent a significant amount of time with the new president.

he is an interesting person and a strong politician. he is easy to interact with. he's a good listener. he is capable of responding to your arguments. from the americans, we used to hear this, yes, this is your point of view, but we have made our decision. he does not say that. at the very least, that in itself is worth it very positive reaction. even though the u.s. remains the largest, most economically advanced state on this planet, although with its own gigantic difficulties, all together, we have trust. our relationship is fairly good and i hope that in the future, everything will be normal. >> why the delay with the new treaty? is russia -- are americans bringing pressure on you? what is their response to that? >> that is because the issue is

so complex. it is a such -- it is such a complex issue. it is not a contract between two small businesses, something that can be slapped together in a quarter of an hour. we have been moving very quickly and we have agreed upon just upon everything there. as far as how it happens, it happens the way you just put it. in some areas, we put some pressure on our partners. we say, this is not acceptable. this is normal. this is a negotiation process. we have to put together a quality document. i am confident that we will create one. this document will have to defy the basis of our coexistence as the largest nuclear powers for a substantial period of time. 10 years or so.

everything has to be thought so. -- thought through. even though we will prepare and sign this treaty, we will still be developing our strategic offensive weapons. without them, we cannot defend this country. it is as obvious to us as it is obvious to americans. it is the law of current life. it does not mean that we will not be able to talk about a nuclear-free world at all. this is inappropriate and youthful cool, but one that we have to keep moving towards na -- this is an appropriate and beautiful golal. >> reduction is a great thing, but yet our nuclear shield, one that was designed and built during the soviet era, is it resting up?

>> no. our nuclear shield enables us to solve all the tasks is used to solve. of course, we will be developing a new system. it is normal. the whole world is doing that. it needs to be done in the conventional framework, including taking into account our future accords and agreements with the americans. this is a process that will be continued. our nuclear shield will always be effective and adequate to protect our national interest. >> speaking of the most important and near the international subject, we have to focus on the elections in the ukraine. we have gotten away from the start date.

who is our preferred russian candidate? is there one? >> based on -- most of my remarks on the ukrainian subject haverford to the -- subject have referred to the incumbent candidate. ukraine is an independent state where the president will be determined by the nation. i'm confident that the nation is capable of making sense of the political declaration and the political struggle which is under way there. there are a couple of dozen candidates there. i would very much like to see happening for the future president of the ukraine would

be leaning toward developing a kind, cordial, fraternal relationship with our country. so that the russian language will not be abused. so that letter context be allowed to develop, so that our joint economic projects will be developed. so that there will not be this strange desire to become part of a foreign military bloc that will make large numbers of people anxious one way or another. but i would like to see is this kind of partnership. i would very much like to see the ukrainians make the correct choice. >> last week, you're in copenhagen where the whole world gathered to discuss the prospect of the global climate. honestly speaking, do you think that the earth is cooling off or heating pop? >> to say whether it is cooling off or heating up, i would have to be an expert in the field.

from my perspective, that is not even the most important thing. there are cyclical theories and there are different points of view. the most important thing is what our reaction to this is. we have to change the ecology of this planet. we have to engage in green technology, in energy-saving technology, and to develop grain engineering, to create alternative fuels. that is obvious. your respective of -- i was not happy with the result of copenhagen. i think copenhagen came up with zilch. we were not able to agree. this was not the blame of -- this was not the fault of the russian federation.

we hear will be dealing with energy efficiency and creating -- reducing the energy consumption. if all the core cast regarding climate change turned out to be irrelevant or not serious, at the very minimum, we will improve the atmosphere >> these decisions raise the question of how decisions are implemented. decisions that i made -- how they're implemented in the localities. casinos have been closed. what do we have now as a result? they're hoping that everything will go back to the way it was. there are reasons to believe that this will be the case.

now there are some clubs where sports poker is being played. there are some instant lotteries. it would take a prosecutor to disassociate between slot machines. do you play these lotteries? >> i plan other games. i do not play poker. >> this business has gone underground. it has deceived the authorities. what do you think the lessons from this that can be learned are? >> i think it is an exaggeration. we have closed the oxygen to this gambling business which used to exist on a different kind of platform. these for gambling zones indeed have not yet become active. these are giant investments. we're not going to pump government's money into it. if and when private investors pulled those methods together,

it will be very welcome. there will remain operational. as far as the large number of casinos, they're not in this country anymore. they're gone. some people are trying to mimic and are using loopholes in the legislation. they're gambling for money. all of these clubs should simply be shut down. now that you are mentioning it, i will be sure to send an instruction to once again to go very thoroughly for the legislation and the regulation with a view to close off even these loopholes. our people are very resourceful. the gamble on the internet, which we do not control. gambling for money on the

internet is a legal business. just like all kinds of instant lotteries and other forms of bypassing the lot. we will look at our regis -- legislation and we will need to amend it. will this be enough? we will look and see. >> this has been a year of big- time soccer and there has been a very controversial role played by the chief coach of our national squad. what is your opinion of the role played by the coach and our soccer history? are you a fan? >> casual fan.

i have watched all of the key games. sometimes on television, sometimes in a stadium. no matter what anybody says, after this frustrating loss that we suffered, as the coach took the helm of our national squad, it has become a different team. that is my private opinion as a casual fan. we have had some very pleasant events embraced our spirits. it was a shot in the arm, if you will. just remember how beautifully our team played in a moscow -- in moscow. there were some other games that were very interesting. fantastic games that we played against the dutch. everybody watched and could not believe these were indeed our soccer players.

this alone is something that we have to think -- thank our coach. as far as club soccer, things are pretty good. as far as the union, this is not something that the cut should be patted on the shoulder for. i think we should just draw the conclusions and continue to support our national sport and their clubs so that they will play even better. >> speaking of soccer, can i ask you some personal questions? what time you get up? what time do go to bed? >> i get up according to my schedule. as far as when i go to bed, it

is pretty lake. usually it is about 2:00 in the morning. there are a lot of things to be signed. sometimes i will be signing documents just before i go to bed. that is not a great thing, but what can you do? >> do you have time for reading? >> i do, as a matter of fact. i spent at least 15-20 minutes to look at a book, to kind of prepare myself for sleep. >> what is on your bedside reading table? >> like most book lovers, and i consider myself one, i have several books and i always tried to read several books. i find it more interesting. when i come across something extraordinary, i can just read it in a gulp. but that is only when i'm on

vacation. for now, i am reading historical portraits. i've not yet looked at his work and i like it a lot. i am reading it fairly slowly and i am putting a lot of thought into it. i am reading in it in the electronic version. is the first time i am reading a book electronically. there are some other books that i have on my bedside reading table. i have a new book and several novels by the german novelist. those that have been freshly translated over the last 10 years. i have loved him since i was a child. he is very modern.

sometimes it raises your spirits. >> what is it that you are missing in life more than anything else? >> that is a very simple question. freedom. as in free time. this is something that you start to feel from the very first minute when you are sworn in to that job. >> what about your family? how are they coping with the burden of being the first family? >> they are coping pretty well. they're behaving pretty well. they're not giving me a hard time. they're not bugging me. of course, this is making an impact on their lives. this is not the most comfortable life because there are certain restrictions. they're not subject to these before.

those lies comprise a number of restrictions. that is the saddest part. you cannot feel those restrictions until after you have been sworn in and started doing the job. in no other position can you find out or even guess what those restrictions are. you can guess what those restrictions are, but you cannot feel what they are. >> all of us here are television people. we have been watching a lot of television. the burden of a presidential responsibility over the last 18 months has dramatically changed to personally. can you feel that burden? how do you feel it? >> i feel that i have changed. i will be honest with you. i have changed because as you correctly said, this is a special kind of responsibility. even before this position, i felt some -- i have held some

very responsible positions. even those positions are held before, when you have the maximum responsibility, it changes your nature, your world view, and many other things. as a human being, i have not changed that much. >> you have repeatedly demonstrated your affection for british rock. you have even attended a concert by legendary band. do you like any music that your son likes? >> he will listen to classical rock as well. he is 14 now. he is a fan of alternative rock. i understand very little about

it. certain bands i do know. there is a band called linkin park. he also listens to a time machine. -- he also listens to a time machine. >> how are you going to spend the new year? >> airtime on the air is contracting vigorously. -- our time on the air is contracting vigorously. >> the time is running out. i would like to ask you who the person of 2009 in russia is. >> is a great question. from my perspective, i just have one person. we have about 1.5 million persons. these are all the citizens of this country who were born in 2009.

they are the people of 2009. well done to be born in this difficult year. >> thank you, mr. president. happy new year to you. >> thank you very much, dear colleagues. it is my hope that i will still be able to congratulate you and the citizens of their country and residents of our country with a happy new year one more time. thank you. >> last month, vladimir putin hold his annual question and answers to this -- session with russian citizens. to the entire event lasted for hours. latimer prudent answered more than 80 question submitted by audience members and telephone

calls. he answered several questions on russian economy and whether he will run for president again in 2012. here is the last hour of the event. it begins with a question on his personal relationship with dmitry medvedev. >> there are several questions arriving at the website. one of the most frequently asked, what is the relationship between you and dmitry medvedev? >> we have known each other for many years and we have been working together for many years. we went to the same school together. we studied from the same teachers together. same professors taught us. not just knowledge, but even attitude to life in general. these principles, the shared

common principles. >he is truly the prime minister of the russian federation. we cooperate a lot. we have a special kind of relationship. >> when will he be released? >> i just visited france and they asked me the same question there. the person you mentioned has been put in prison by a court ruling. the problem is not when he will be released. the problem is that such crimes

should never happen again in russia. we're talking about economic crimes now. the bankruptcy procedure for the company was initiated by western banks. this bankruptcy was carried out according to russian law. absolutely according to law. i have never said this publicly before, but i am going to say it now. the money from selling the assets went to the state budget, but not just to the state budget when it happened. this happened mainly in the 2006. i persuaded my colleagues at the time that we should not just spend this money to state coffers or to our reserves, even

though this might have been good, i told them we should use this money in areas that are most problematic. it this money was stolen from the people, we should give it back to the people directly. . . we repair their houses.

150,000 people will move to new houses from barracks, and we will continue to finance this fund in the future. we used this money to improve housing conditions in the russian federation. as for the criminal element, we will act according to russian law. unfortunately, nobody remembers the fact that we have one of the chiefs of the security service in prison. he had no personal interest. he was not a major shareholder in the company. it is clear that he acted according to instructions given to him, and we have proved five murders committed by him.

the company next to their office in moscow that was in charge of this little shop, this lady refused to sell her shop, and she was killed in front of her husband. the mayor of the town where he worked, mainly, he wanted him to pay taxes, and he got killed. he was murdered. those people, security service chiefs, were blackmailed by a couple, and they were a couple -- they were killed as well. all of these crimes have been proved through investigation and for trial.

let us remember that every man in our -- the fate of every man in our prisons should be decided by existing law, and the government will continue to work according to this law. >> what are your relations with george bush, jr.? that after he left -- >> after he left the post of american president and i left the post of russian president, we have never seen each other, but i can tell you when we worked together, our personal relationship was quite good and friendly. i have mentioned this before, and i will repeat it again. this helped us to overcome some difficult situations. george is a very decent man. he is a good companion. we have a chance to -- if we have a chance to spend some time

together in the future, i would be always happy to be with him. many people are deprived of the possibility to ask questions. we have tatiana in her sector. the coach, manufacturer, and you mentioned the coaches, and it is a question of survival. >> i am an electro mechanical from the assembly division. on november 12, in your conversation with the head of the russian ballet's, you said that the orders for the coach manufacturers has been cancelled, and there is preliminary agreement to supply

500 coaches, and more than 1000 coaches is less than fewer than one half. it this level is preserved, the employees will face the possibility of losing their jobs at a minimum, which we cannot afford, and to preserve our working collected. >> we had a conversation. frankly speaking, it was very nice talking to your people because you were all well prepared. not just as specialists in your area, but also politically and economically. your reasoning was at a very good, professional level, and i would like to tell you something -- we give orders to

-- you can get orders from the companies that use your products, and this is russian and railroads, first of all, but there are other companies that produce the same goods. for example, the year a factory that also produces train cars -- i visited your factory, but i did not visit the euro factory yet, but it does not matter whether they are visited. we should consider the industry as a whole, this industry of train car manufacturers, those companies that work directly with russian railroads. of course, this has to do with the efficiency and economic recovery that requires increased transportation. as soon as transportation increases, revenues of russian

railroads increase. we will not be able to support our infrastructure monopolies from the state budget. otherwise, we cannot take care of our socialist possibilities, including pensions, by we will do what we can. and we will do it next year as well. we just promised 25 billion rubles to russian realists -- railroads. there will be 50 billion of support next year. i am aware of the situation at various plants. i maintain contact with your shareholders. recently, we discussed some issues outside moscow. i talked to the russian railroad ceo. the order of 2010 will remain at the same level as in 2009.

this way, i think the country needs train cars. >> there will be less train cars, but more locomotives, but overall, it will stay at the same level. that is what i was told. maybe it will even increase if russian railroads gets more revenues. >> from the right wing sector, questions? let's give the floor to our young people. we have students from various high institutions. many questions. who wants to ask a question? hello. >> this year, i graduated from the siberian institute of railway transportation, and now, i have a post-credit course, and many of my friends and did postgraduate studies. we are initiative and active,

and we are aware of what we are doing now, that this will affect our future, the future of our country, and we start to ponder the cause. please tell us, what russia are we to inherit? what future do you see for our country? >> you know, when we talk about our country, when we talk about russia, quite often, we start talking about the economy and about competitiveness, and that is right. there is nothing wrong with that. russia is the people of the russian federation. we need them to be happy. we need their well-being to increase. we need public health care to get better. we need security to improve. we need our defense. we need to develop our

infrastructure. we have many goals to work on, and i think if you have completed your education, you are in graduate school now, each person has built for himself, i would like very much -- i would like us to reach the goal that we set for ourselves, including you. >> one more question, if you will. >> hello. the question of sport has not been touched upon. i am keen on that, and i would like to ask you a question. russia's national football team has not qualified for the world cup. at the same time, we are planning and submitting our application for 2018 and 2020, too. -- 2022. this is the only way to get to

the world cup for russia's team as a host, or are there any more larger scale goals? >> do you play football yourself? >> yes, i do. >> would you like -- to have the world cup in 2018? >> i would like to, and at the same time, i am aware that it is very hard. the infrastructure currently does not correspond to the conditions. >> i fully agree with you. first of all, he mentioned a very important thing. you would like russia to have the world cup. infrastructure is not sufficient. actually, infrastructure was inadequate for the winter olympic games as well in 2014. our infrastructure was insufficient for the games in 2012, but we need to develop our infrastructure. we need to do this. our infrastructure is insufficient for the apec summit in the far east.

as far as the of the big games with 2014 are concerned, we have almost concluded. there was no normal water supply in a major resort city. everything was dumped into the sea. talk about environmental protection. now all of this has been taken care of. we built a new fire station -- power station. we will build another one soon, and this is a major problem. electric wires in the mountains get i see. now gas problems are building in gas pipes. i can tell you, frankly, unless we had such a location, probably, we would not have done this in 100 years, and our country would never have gotten this kind of resort, but we

would definitely do this. the same applies to the world cup. you are right in that we do not have infrastructure, by if we are going to have the world cup, it would be easier for us to organize an administrative event on natural resources to address problems of infrastructure. not only will we have to build additional areas according to the world cup regulations, i would like olympic games, an olympic games should be as close as possible, but the world cup is different. their goal is to spread venues throughout the country in order to produce infrastructure for sports development, but we will need to repair roads. we will need communications, energy, environment, including

sewers and what not. energy, airports will have -- remodel airports or build new ones, and all of this will be left to the people. regardless of how our national team performs, i hope that we will achieve a much better result than than we did today and our national team was not able to qualify for the final part of the world cup in south africa. >> i would like not to let our people in the highest seats lose their hope to ask a question. >> i am a student from the siberian federal institute. my question is -- sorry. not long ago, you attended a hip-hop competition, the struggle for respect. did you go there to gain more ratings for you?

another question is the dominant function of the tv is entertainment. we lack educational problems. the federal said. institute university has been a news to the program. -- the federal siberian institute university. >> let's begin with the federal channel for students. you'd subjects of all federal channels -- there are entertainment channels, which are oriented precisely towards the young people. there are quite a lot of them, too, but the combination of entertainment with -- so far does not work out. i agree with you, the management of the channels, including state tv channels, should get this work in line.

as for my participation in the program, i not only visited this musical program, but in itself, the bill's suspect program was initiated by the ministry of health care and was financed from the federal budget as a campaign against smoking, against taking narcotics and alcohol is asian. of course, we are talking about young people, and the ratings have nothing to do with it because, thank god, we have no such things as that, but to make it look as it these young people who are going in for a break dancing and other modern types of art, to make it look

like these people do not exist is a great error. we must also work in this medium, too. when i was attending that, i have developed real sympathy towards these young people. not only those who are performing -- they did a good, professional work, performances, but all of those girls and boys that were in the audience. but of course, they are young people. but they are very gullible. it is very important for us to get these icons of the young people to do positive work done. for instance, quite recently, those who advocated rap, they also advocated intake of narcotics, unfortunately.

our rappers are advocating the struggle against narcotics. for this reason, be thankful to them, and i consider that the state should work in all mediums. first of all, among the young people. the structure of mortality rate from smoking aside, about 17% of the population in the structures and the narcotics, debt related, it is about the same, and the alcohol is asian, everyone knows about that. -- alcoholization, everyone knows about that. i recommend to everyone all these programs should be implemented, and i am counting very much on the initiative some of the young youth organizations because working among the young people is -- question no. one.

>> we also have questions. just one more question, a gimmick, from the young people. >> of course. -- one more question, if you may, from the young people. and of course. >> i study at the university of mountaineering. i have a question and suggestion for jobs. are you planning to take part in the election? >> i will think about that. i believe that everyone in place today should perform this duty and work more efficiently, and depending on how the situation develops in the economy, in a social sphere, these decisions will be concerning the election campaign of 2012, but now, we are living in 2009, and the

greatest mistake would be what to concentrate all the work of today for the future election campaign. this would concern regional levels, municipal levels, and the federal levels. as soon as a person starts thinking about ratings, which you just mentioned, to think how he would act in the interests of his future election campaign, he will be tied hand and foot, and he will not be able to take classis, but the necessary measures, decisions for the economy and the people. such freedom for my colleagues. to seek their support in future election campaigns and seek ways

to resolve the questions. what concerns your educational establishment, one can only envy. i know that the mountaineering institute, they're teaching staff is one of the best in the world, and it is too bad that not too many people know about it. it is true. you have support of this company's, which are making use of the people -- you have people graduating -- these are energy companies. they are sparing no money to hire these people. i am not afraid to say it -- it is a superb education. i wish you success. >> thank you. we have one more left.

we go to our special correspondent. >> dear colleagues, we welcome you. we are in the administrative section of - -- of mines. this is the place that was called the garden city, and lots of activity here, lots of enthusiasm. we are definitely for a reason.

we have - -- miners, and many of them had the opportunity to speak to you personally when you came for a visit. today, we continue this talk. if you have questions, please raise your hand. please introduce yourself. >> good day. i am the head of one of the brigades. our meeting has become a new tradition, and i would like to thank you for the attention that you paid to our region. going back to our previous meeting, i think it happened during a difficult time for us. we were in a difficult state.

the situation was unclear. but for today, we have a clearer picture of. starting with august, we work full weeks. the price for coal is growing slow but steady. it happened partly because of the accident, but we have overcome it -- we have not overcome the crisis just yet. we want to know what we are to expect in the near future. our region is a coal mining region, and we are all dependent on it. we would like to know the perspective for the future.

>> thank you. first of all, i remember the meeting with you, and i would like to cite you add all the minors for the meeting we had in the past. for their -- that move, that telling, the people had a very complicated time, you said there was a great uncertainty at that time. there are certain alarming trends. signs of a slump in production, but in those conditions, what impressed me, i must tell you truthfully, your internal confidence, yourself assurance, and their responsibility and the high level of discipline of the people with whom i spoke. miners, of course, have been job.

it inspired me to some extent and helped me, and i would like to thank you for that. indeed, the market is being slow but surely returned to its former level. more than 90% of the coal markets has been resurfaced. as we see a group in the world and russia, i am quite sure that we struck the bottom, but it is not only a matter of restoring the world economy. it is also a matter that we must orient ourselves towards the domestic market. we have at very serious plans -- we have very serious plans to boost the energy capacity of the

country. i would like to repeat that -- in the previous past 10 years, we introduced 10,000 megawatts, 13,000 megawatts, and in the next two years, we should introduce more. this means that the demand for your products inside the country will increase. besides that, there is an increase in improvement -- i mean, there is an increase of the technological equipment and machinery. coal mining is becoming more ecologically friendly, more efficient. last but not least, what is important here that i would like to draw your attention to is the fact in respect to other primary energy, prices for gas are lower, we should consider this a balance.

this concerns coal in the economy. there should be a gradual eating out of the prices. this means that all branches such as the coal mining industry, the prospects are becoming more stable and being put forward for long-term peace, i need a rise in the long-term stability. besides that, i'm quite sure machine engineering will be developing as well. there are problems connected with the efficiency of functioning separate enterprises, separate individual miners, individual coal mining segments. such a problem is in place. we know about this problem, and together, with the shareholders, with the regional authorities, we must gradually without sports

and starts ensure that people with jobs and to create highly efficient enterprises. there is a series of complex problems, but together, we shall be able to offer the end result. >> andre, do we have more questions? >> not so much a question. we have here what of your top france -- friends. he has got a new apartment. there he is. >> i would like to thank you for coming. you came here to -- because of the issue of the old housing. the barracks were broke down, and 300 people got new

apartments. from our whole heart, we say thank you. from the personally as well. i did not know if i can say that. if you allow me, i would like to exchange our apartment with our mother-in-law because she has a bigger apartment, and i have three children. now, they have their own rooms. >> thank you very much. >> i -- this is not a question. i'd just wanted to say this from my whole heart. and i thank you. i am very happy that you are resolving your housing problems. i hope that together with the

governor and local authorities, we will be able to continue those programs because many people are to be resettled into new housing. there are quite a number of housing in your area, and this program resettling into new housing, we shall be preserving this program for next year right up until we solve this problem. i do hope, exchanging with your mother-in-law, your mother-in- law did not suffer. >> we have been working for over three hours already. i have a new question on the website of our president. recently, we often see you with

tigers, wales -- whales, and in the pictures, you look happier than when you are with the ministers. is this in jest, or is it really so? >> the more i learn about but in respect to ministers, this is in no way connected with my colleagues. i simply like animals. and i must tell you here i have taken advantage of the opportunity by post to resolve some of the problems which are very acute. you probably know in the red

book, we have very many speeches of animals, which are on the verge of extinction. these animals such as the far east tigers, there are approximately 500 of them. it is critical. in the far east parts, those are the worst conditions. they are being seen just for shooting. i do not know why. they do not cause any special damage to the local population there. as hunting trophies, i think this is also in all but -- also in the longer of any great value. tigers are being killed because our neighbors in china are being used from the with the tigers to

the tiger tales are being used as a cold animal, so to speak. we took up this problem. i think next year, we shall expand the program by polar bear because the polar bear is also now in danger. i call upon all people to pay attention about nature, about animals. i also mentioned about the of libya in 2014, so we are doing very much there so in contact with the ecological organizations to do everything possible to use the funds being provided by the state not to cause damage but in order to improve the quality there. i spoke about these serious systems but besides all that, if you pay attention to the north

caucasian republics, practically every emblem has a caucasian leopard, but there are no leopardess in the 1950's. all of them were killed. nothing remains of those leopards. we are carrying a program for for restoring the population of those animals in the caucasus. some species of these animals were provided to us by the president of turkmenistan, and he supported us in this undertaking, but they are being sort of greedy and not sharing like they do not want to give us anymore.

we will probably have to appeal to the president, and we are counting on his support. there are different types of leopards. it was considered that these snow lakes have been extinct, but now, their population is being restored. again, i want to emphasize i urge everyone to voluntarily work in this direction. everyone will be rewarded for this. >> many people in the audience what to ask questions. we have here the upper level. from the defense industry. please introduce yourself and

your question. >> i work in the electric department. recently, you said that despite the crisis, we still have great perspectives for the future. our colleagues said that they do have state contracts. we also heard that the defense ministry is going to buy french helicopter carriers and others, so now, basically, we are in a very controversial situation. >> the demonstrated very good parameters.

it grew by 3.7%. on the whole, this is quite a good index, but very many problems remain. if you have noticed, we are now engaged in working by analyzing the state of the defence production indiana missile equipment. the air defenses -- there are many problems that are connected with the need for technological innovation of our leading enterprises because we are unable to produce combat equipment and to ensure our defense security. all of these can be resolved, and we are resolving them and show resolve them.

what concerns the purchase or sale of equipment, according to the volume or sale of weaponry, we are in second place, and to insure our defense and security, we do not need to purchase armaments abroad, but in order to work effectively on foreign markets, many of our items are being produced within the standard of nato because it is easier to sell them. and our defense enterprises are keeping close track of foreign markets about different types of markets. in any case, you were speaking about a mistrial. the decision has not yet been made but before such a decision is made, we, of course, will think about this very deeply and will speak about examining our own possibilities in this area,

and our defense enterprise must understand that while determining the price of the end product, they have a competitor, but without a doubt, the stakes on solving this question, sufficiency, defense capability of the russian state will, of course, be made on russian defense industry. >> thank you. >> we have a very important question here that has directly to do with what you talked about today. >> you often go to different places and meet with the workers and request of common people. you always react to situations and solve many issues on the spot, so officials cannot solve issues on their own. >> the officials can resolve this and to resolve many problems, especially my

colleagues in the government of russia. they are working a great deal. they are very efficient people. they are very professional people. they have become experts in those branches in which they are working. without any exaggeration, they have been working a great deal. i would like to take advantage of this opportunity. we have meetings, conferences and meetings with them. i speak mostly critical, but publicly, i would like to thank them now for their joint work because they are doing a lot and have accomplished a lot so the country has passed through this very difficult time. perhaps the most difficult during the past decade with minimal losses. now, we are concerned -- my meetings with later collected there -- they are useful for myself and for the whole government because this is

meeting people face-to-face with the people, their problems, and during the preparation for today's meeting, we spoke together with colleagues and look to those questions coming through the internet. approximately, you know, the interests of the people, we know by the volume of questions that we received during the past few days, but when we examine together with them and prepare for this meeting, of course, i prepared for this meeting, and my colleagues also -- they helped me with this. some of them said very correctly how useful it is to look at all of these. this is this kind of feedback, the people with real problems. the citizens -- there have been trips, and there shall be trips

of this kind in the future without a doubt. >> during our program today, we put these kinds of citizens that were hard line. usually, you select questions for the blitz round. >> yes, indeed, i have just the questions coming through internet. some of them -- i have selected a few questions. i have seen people raising their hands quite actively. this young lady there, please. there are certain limitations. be very brief, i ask you. >> good day. how the government wants to

solve the issue of -- the problem of lack of glorified teachers. >> of course, interesting people should come to these villages and towns. the labor resources, especially highly skilled personnel to remove the and there should be concentrated where they have the best conditions to apply their potential. resolving housing problems for the young teachers, increasing salaries for teachers. we have a federal program, and in many regions, there are programs for supporting purchasing housing for young families, and there are two young specialists, including teachers as well. we will be expanding the sector. higher up in that sector, please.

>> i would like to express my thanks from the team of russian social university. thank you for the attention you have paid to developing social here. we invite you to visit our university, so i would like to pay your attention to one more problem. the year of use is 2009, and we know that the sanatorium that we have for students is being illegally taken away from us. i know that we are trying to figure out the way out, and i would like to ask you to have a look at it because we have 2000 people working. >> thank you.

i cannot comment on this because i do not believe specific situations -- by all means, we will examine the situation. >> please be quick. we do not really have time. >> i work for the emergency ministry. we have a lot about mortgage people, and factors like the prices of real estate in different regions, the number of people in the family did not begin to account. is it possible to give it to military people to remain in the old system or move on to the new -- >> you are quite right. indeed, we do not take into account also the composition of the family in allocating for housing. i think it is 56 square meters, and that is all. and the legislators proceeded from the fact that this would be minimal floor space that we will receive from the state, and if he wants to increase additional

or hire class housing, larger floor space, he must think about this by himself ahead of time, but on the hole in general, it is possible to correct here. this, of course, connected with great expenditures from the federal budget. when i was in st. petersburg, recently, we discussed the problems. i have called together the governors in st. petersburg of those regions and parts of the russian federation where we are intending to build housing for service in 2010 to provide a more permanent housing for those who have the right in 2010, and subtly, and in 200011/2012, those who are being discharged from the army -- they will be in the system and must receive housing according to the system. all those who are going into the mortgage system shall be receiving housing within the

framework of the military mortgage system. we would like to draw your attention and all of those present here and the entire country in fact that the mortgage savings for servicemen shall be fully financed from the federal budget and state. i came across the idea of additional stimulating demographic prospects among the serviceman. those families have second or third just so we could give them a house in bonus. also within the framework of the mortgage system. it is not a question of square meters but additional financing. we should count is up, and i think that is what we will be doing. let's have the last question from the auditorium here. the final question.

>> good day. i work in innovation center. moscow university. we plan to implement innovations in the educational process, and with the state support, the initiative also appeared >> yes, of course, we are supporting. such has already been said about contests that were held in september this year, and now, we are setting up the results of 14 innovative institutes. they will be receiving financial support precisely for their innovation programs of training. they will get about 11.8 billion rubles over five years for purchasing additional equipment, and working in this innovation programs which you just mentioned. thank you. >> let's go over to the questions i have singled out. >> we have been going on for

more than three hours. >> is there a question from alexander. i consider it an important question, why i have selected this particular question. i will read it to you now. we are increasing pensions from all categories throughout november. i would like to know what is going to be happening with the pensioners, sargents, nco's and the ministry. my pension is 3610 rubles. what is going to happen? in 2010, there should not be in the russian federation pensioners who are receiving pensions lower than the minimum living level. if the pension is lower than the

living standard in the region, these people shall be receiving additional -- either from the regional budget or the federal budget. they are different, but it will be supplemented. what concerns military discharge servicemen pensions, it is probably a very simple question. the question is there, but it can be resolved. there are certain servicemen who had served the armed forces for a certain time, were discharged and received additional seniority working with civilians. if the seniority is no less than five years, then this person has the right to make a choice, reestablishing their pensions from the seventh time. it is to his advantage. he can make the choice by himself. he can remain receiving service

intentions, which on the whole, comes through above the general medium pension. here's the question concerning -- we would like the minister's to also act as your humble servant of the minister transportation cluster the books. they have been on the rolls, and apothecaries' and clinics. if you think this is not enough, we shall intensify their movements around the country. the main thing is they should be beneficiary to the country. >> a very important question. you promised through the paper to people who are without legs on hospice should be not examined.

i refuse to receive prosthetics for this. the first group of invalidity for life. april 2007. it was a government decision. invalids who have lost this or that function should no longer pass the expertise commission. this is against the law. all leadership, the government's decision has to be carried out in full. there is one nuance, that is it has been sent to the medical commission to determine connections with the prosthetics, then that is another question. but no one has to send you to

commissions to determine your ability disability. why doesn't the state introduced a monopoly on alcoholic beverages? experts who are working in this area consider the monopoly on alcoholic products as this will not solve problems of all the citizens. we are working on this, but the main facts, excise tax, will be shifted to the distillery's who produce alcohol. this as a first stage will be establishing all the excise taxes, and this will make it possible to avoid the production of contracts alcoholic beverages.

[unintelligible] why their officials are being reduced and why they keep getting numbers -- they are growing greater numbers, and the demographic process is being developed quite rapidly. this probably officially concerns the officials as well, but if we speak seriously about this, this problem is indeed a large one, and it has been growing at great rates in spite of the fact of our efforts to reduce different officials and duplicating structures in regional or federal level. incidentally, we are going to continue this work in reducing the number fisheries. i would like physical education of children and presence in

schools. once again, i would like to repeat that the school is the responsibility of the regional municipality of stories. although i do agree that not enough attention is being devoted to this. at the federal level, we can adopt recommendations. we can put more pressure on this area, but in spite of the effect -- the fact of the objections of our financial authorities, we should not dr. up the region's in getting assistance from the federal budget, but nonetheless, in certain sectors, they should be done in certain cases. we shall think about this, by all means. you consider the activity of stalin positive or negative in general? i think that i know there is

much discussion in this society about this, and i see ambushes. you say is positive, people who are dissatisfied say negative. other people said the subject of stolen is still being discussed. as i see it, i think since 1924, to 1953, the country at that time was headed by stalin. the country has changed radically from an agrarian country. it became an industrial country, we all remember all of those problems. the problem concerning agriculture, the queues for food products. this has no positive influence on the rural areas, but industrialization actually did take place.

we won the great patriotic war, and no matter who says what, the victory was one -- was won. even if we speak about losses, casualty's, we can now throw a stone at those who organized the victory, but if we had lost that war, the consequences would have been much more catastrophic and would have been difficult to even imagine, but all the positive aspects was done at an acceptable price. repressions actually take place, and the fact that no one can deny millions of our citizens, countryman suffered from this, and such and that the -- such a method of governing a country is

unacceptable, to govern a country that way. and without a doubt, in that time, we came across not only because of the individual mass crimes against their own people -- this is the fact. and we do not forget about the spirit and the historical facts must be analyzed all together -- we do not forget about this. and the historical facts must be analyzed all together. we can philosophize a great deal. i will just make two remarks. this concerns the socialist consciousness, the expectations that the state must resolve all questions, all problems completely. and this, of course, was, of course -- limits personal initiative. we have just spoken a