Confucius Prize

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has had a rough week, what with mass protests against vote rigging (title link). So he may find some consolation in winning the Confucius Peace Prize for promoting peace in domestic and foreign policy, especially his stand against NATO's bombing attacks on Libya. Here's the lad himself doing a jig with two of his smallest fans in a massive painting depicting world leaders and celebrities. The award ceremony took place in Beijing. It isn't endorsed by the Chinese government (Confucius was neither a communist nor a capitalist and the current Chinese regime is both). A rival for the Nobel Peace Prize? Not if it hands out awards to ex-KGB thugs running what is virtually a one-party state with rigid control of the media.