‘President,’ they say, &c.

Vladimir Putin has organized a sham plebiscite in Russia, designed to keep him in power until at least 2036. Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion and current democracy champion, has written a strong piece on the subject. Let me quote a little:

Kasparov goes on to say that foreign media, and others, call Putin “president,” thus “putting him on par with the leaders of free countries.”