You are right. It is late and I had some other things to do but I should have taken the time to check for his exact title before I posted.
But my point still stands. Putin entire career was to further the aims of the evil empire. Ronald Reagan helped bring down the evil empire. Putin worked for evil, Ronald Reagan worked against evil.
They could not have been more different.
“They could not have been more different.”
I agree, but that isn’t the point. Many Russians see Putin the same way many of us saw Reagan, as a sign or beacon of hope.
The average Russian under 40 has no idea what it was like to live in the Soviet Union, all they know about it is some schoolhouse propaganda from grade school.
What they do know is that life in Russia has steadily improved in the years under Putin, and they have it much better than their parents did. They have cellphones, satellite TV, and the ability to travel or move anywhere they want to.
They see the huge infrastructure projects being built, and know that they have more opportunities now, than their parents ever did.
The criminal gangs don’t rule the streets anymore, and even though the mafia’s still exist, they have gone largely underground.
In short, they only have their experiences to compare against, and things have improved dramatically under Putin, like we saw happen under Reagan in the 80’s, only to be wrecked later.
Putin spent a year as head of the FSB.