How to translate addresses by the great and the good

[spot]

I came across this in a speech (http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2005/05/06/59626.html) delivered yesterday in, of all places, Germany, by Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation - "The population must not associate the market economy and democracy with poverty and anarchy, and the market economy must not be associated with an absolute rule by oligarchs who rob millions of people...."

translate: Putin said recently, in effect, that Capitalism is properly associated in the minds of the dispossessed majority with absolute rule by oligarchs who rob their fellow citizens and hold in check the legitimate aspirations of the world community. "Sure, some people may dislike it, in the past decade some people got accustomed to stealing billions and to use both mass media and some other civil institutions in their group interests," he continued.

[john8pies]

Thanks for the translation, spot - no wonder so many "important" people are regarded with at best disdain and at worst contempt when they spout off like that!