The Economist´s view of Vladimir Putin. Not so long ago his human rights violations, destruction of opposition and bloody actions in Chechnya were cast aside by the western democracies, who wanted to believe that under his autocratic outer appearance was a liberal heart that loved democracy and free market economy, and now he seems to be transforming in to a new boogey man. Will Vladimir Putin to be in the future as reviled as Saddam Hussein was by the West? No, Russia is still too big and has too much of the world´s natural resources. Relationship may be quite frosty at time, but probably polite. The servants may bark at each other, but the masters will make strained smiles in press conferences and declare that all is well.