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What Putin is rebuilding
4-17-14 | Dangus

Posted on 04/16/2014 9:08:34 PM PDT by dangus

No, Putin isn't re-building the third Reich: Chamberlain isn't a historic villain because he did nothing after Hitler seized neighboring German-speaking territories. He's a historic villain because he did nothing after Hitler blamed Christianity for poisoning Europe with weakness, swore to destroy the Jews, build a master race, set fire to the Reichstag, seized all police powers, built concentration camps and THEN invaded German-speaking lands.

No, Putin isn't re-building the Soviet Union: He has implemented a flat, low tax rate, struck the authority of local commissars to impose taxes, decriminalized tax disputes, decentralized agriculture and industry, seen the numbers of abortions decrease 83%, and championed Christianity in the public square.

No, Putin isn't building Aleksandr Dugan's Eurasia, a concept that sounds almost as if it were written by the C.I.A. to justify paranoia and panic. Dugin has been called a trusted advisor to Putin. In fact, Dugin and his allies have been enemies of Putin since before the fall of Gorbachev. Dugin is to Putin what Pat Buchanan is to Barrack Obama, what Rev. Wright is to George W. Bush. Dugin's Eurasia is a communist-Islamicist alliance, whereas Putin has been deeply ingratiating himself as a devout Orthodox Christian.

One thing everyone who has met him, whether Bush supposedly seeing into his soul, or Clinton's loathing the sight of him, is that Putin is a pragmatist, not a crazed ideologue like Hitler, Stalin, Dugan or Zhirinovski. Even his Christianity is pragmatic: He's no like King Henry IV of France, who feigned Catholicism because one mass was a small price to pay for Paris. No, he believes in Christianity because he believes it works. While this sounds grating to the Protestant ear, bear in mind the Orthodox revere Emperor Constantine as a great saint. Western Catholics and Enlightenment-era Protestants might even call it "Natural Law." And the re-Christianization of Russia is progressing rapidly. (If you're such the believer that works and justice have nothing to do with Christianity, it's at least the re-Orthodoxidation?)

In 1991, only 30% of Russians considered themselves Christian. In 2001, that number increased to 51%. Today, the same poll says 73% do. Another poll says 82% of Russians consider themselves Christian. Millions of Muslims have converted. (2 million had by 2005, and reports say the rate of conversions has increased.)

Christian morality is coming back, and Putin's government is leading the char gem crusading against abortion, childlessness, divorce, and alcoholism. As I mentioned, abortion is down an astounding 83%. But parenting is also up more than 50%. And life expectancy has risen 5 years in just the last 8 calendar years.

Putin cannot achieve his goals largely by military annexation. He needs to keep a Duma that supports him, and the leftists coalition of socialist, communists, pensioners and Eurasianists have closed the gap on his right-wing alliance. He can't afford more opponents, politically, economically or militarily. In fact, Russia so far has declined to annex South Ossetia, Transdneiper, Nagorno-Karabakh or Abkhazia; Crimea was an exception because it had been so long Russian and was so dominated by Russian people. He also must seduce allies to his side, and one is seldom seduced by another who has been seen raping a third. If the Donbas region of the Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, etc.) becomes part of Russia, Putin must be able to convince Russophiles that they did so willingly. Any further intrusions into the Ukraine will come years later, should other oblasts (counties) decide that annexation has profited the Donbas.

Putin has defended Christians in the Middle East while the West has sided with Islamicist radicals. Putin will continue to seek a constructive relationship with Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt. (Yes, Israel is turning away from America as a fickle ally who punishes her friends and coddles her enemies.)

The Eurasian Economic Community consists of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and will likely soon include Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgystan, Moldova and Tajikistan. Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are majority-Muslim nations with sizable Christian minorities, like Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Putin's involvement in Egypt, Israel and Syria demonstrates that the Christian communities in these nations will have a defender. Russia may well be Christianity's best shot for maintaining a foothold in the Islamic world.

If he's really ambitious, Putin may hope that the whole of the Orthodox world may be attracted to Russia, and to expand the Russian-led customs union to Greece, Romania, Serbia, etc. But military aggression would be deadly to such ambitions.

Russia abolished serfdom before Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, so don't misread me. But what Putin wants is a modern Russian Empire. And if his methods aren't evil, I'm pretty sure that's not a bad thing.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; Russia; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: churchstatecombine; crimea; eurasianunion; fsb; gazprom; kgb; litvinenko; nashi; nationalization; orthodox; presidentialdecree; putin; putinsbuttboys; rehabilitatestalin; rosneft; rossiyasegodnya; russia; russianempire; stalin; stateownedmedia; ukraine; vladimirputin
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1 posted on 04/16/2014 9:08:34 PM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus

Putin singlehandily rescued Russia from Oblivion.


2 posted on 04/16/2014 9:13:45 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: dangus

The Yin and The Yang

Putin is trying to build Russia up into his vision of a new Russia.

Obama is dismantling America into his vision of a new USA.


3 posted on 04/16/2014 9:13:47 PM PDT by Iron Munro (The future ain't what it use to be -- Yogi Berra)
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To: dangus

Putin: “First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.”


4 posted on 04/16/2014 9:15:09 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: dangus

I’m more worried about what we’re not building. We’re destructing.


5 posted on 04/16/2014 9:15:56 PM PDT by Irenic (The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheelbarrow)
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To: dangus

Let us know when he stops backing Iran to the detriment of Israel.


6 posted on 04/16/2014 9:16:31 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: dangus

The irony here is that the German-Russian trade axis, which between 1870-1914 was one of the world’s most dynamic, is destined to revive. Germany tired of its supplicating, non productive, debt ridden EU partners will pivot toward the boundless resources and potential of Russia. Ukraine , which is positioned directly on the axis along with Poland and Belarus, will prosper as well. A West Ukraine v East Ukraine/Russia war would only benefit those who fear or wish to delay this development.


7 posted on 04/16/2014 9:18:41 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Zhang Fei

He was referring to dissolution, not the democratization.


8 posted on 04/16/2014 9:18:52 PM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus

Vladimir Putin is the best ruler Russia has ever had since Tsar Peter. Bork Obunga on the other hand, is the worst ruler any advanced state has ever had since Nero.


9 posted on 04/16/2014 9:20:59 PM PDT by varmintman
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To: Zhang Fei
He sees it from a completely different perspective,now, I would guess. I would imagine he can now look in hindsight and see what has brought our destruction and also what, at one time, built our successes. I have to wonder if he believes he can rebuild learning from watching our destruction. As noted, he is not an ideologue.

I have to say, if you are Russian you are probably feeling a bit more optimistic about the future than any American who knows what is happening around them.

10 posted on 04/16/2014 9:22:30 PM PDT by riri (Plannedopolis-look it up. It's how the elites plan for US to live.)
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To: allendale
A West Ukraine v East Ukraine/Russia war would only benefit those who fear or wish to delay this development.

AKA the Anglo-Amnerican banking cartel.....

11 posted on 04/16/2014 9:23:58 PM PDT by varmintman
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To: dangus

A remarkably plausible interpretation of events. Better be lest we get WWIII.


12 posted on 04/16/2014 9:25:33 PM PDT by ctdonath2 (Before you can find the right hill, someone will start watering trees. Prepare accordingly.)
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To: Zhang Fei

That’s the former KGB agent’s whole animus and motivator.


13 posted on 04/16/2014 9:25:50 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Iran was ready to topple, until Obama declared he had their back. You notice we’re doing nothing at all about Iran? I’m not sure why Israel and Russia have been getting along so well, but read this:

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/tr/originals/2014/04/israel-russia-strategic-ties-ukraine.html#


14 posted on 04/16/2014 9:25:56 PM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus

President Putin really wants to fulfill Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev’s vision of Europe as a “common European home” from the Atlantic to the Pacific - from Paris to Vladivostok. That dream right now seems further away from fulfillment than in 1989.

The system of the blocs has disappeared and the Cold War has ended but most Russians feel the West is not interested in being a partner but an adversary. And they point out the West’s attitude towards their country and them has remained consistent even before Crimea.

But if its a choice now between deferring to the West or upholding Russia’s national interests - Putin has opted for the second choice. He really wants Russia to be part of Europe - but not at any price.


15 posted on 04/16/2014 9:27:13 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: riri
I have to say, if you are Russian you are probably feeling a bit more optimistic about the future than any American who knows what is happening around them.

Any country coming up from a low base is gonna have people who feel good about the future. Russia is doing well because China's rapid growth has taken commodity prices through the roof. Russia contains more raw materials than Brazil, the US and Saudi Arabia combined. For instance, in the early 90's, Chinese motor vehicle sales were 2m. In 2012, they were 20m. Putin was as lucky as Yeltsin was not.

16 posted on 04/16/2014 9:28:23 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: dangus

How do you know?


17 posted on 04/16/2014 9:28:31 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Zhang Fei

“Putin: “First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.””

For Russia...

For many it’s former client states, it ushered in The Great Age.

For others, they still haven’t recovered, mainly due to internal division and strife.


18 posted on 04/16/2014 9:30:40 PM PDT by tcrlaf (Well, it is what the Sheeple voted for....)
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To: dangus

Iran wasn’t toppling. Russia was aiding them the whole time, as was China, North Korea and other such nations.

Now Obama is very pro-Islam, but where did he openly declare he had Iran’s back?

Israel’s got “strong ties” with many other nations that have a strong animus against them, including most of the members of the European Union.


19 posted on 04/16/2014 9:32:47 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: goldstategop

“President Putin really wants to fulfill Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev’s vision of Europe as a “common European home””

That vision, for BOTH Gorbachev, and Putin, came from Yuri Andropov, of all people. but, by the time he came to power, he was too old, and too ill, to put it into play himself.


20 posted on 04/16/2014 9:34:12 PM PDT by tcrlaf (Well, it is what the Sheeple voted for....)
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