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I talked with a Russian directional driller trainee on a drilling location once, partly because I like to pick brains and see what people from all over think of the US, and to learn a little about their take on their own governments. (He didn't last long on our location: the Company Hand's ancestors were Ukranian).

But the fascinating part of our conversation was when I asked him what he thought of Josef Stalin. He loved him, revered the man much as you or I might think of Benjamin Franklin or George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

I asked "Why?", and he replied that 'Stalin was strong man, defeated Hitler and held the Rodina together.'

There you have it, the Russians, (oddly enough like many of the governments of the Middle East) placed high value on the ruthless strong man who would do what was necessary to eliminate the enemies of the State, who could unite the various tribes or other elements under one banner by either seduction or force and would use either to maintain that power.

As I read down this thread, this is the sort of person the Founders warned us about, and in some ways the very trip Obama is trying to pull here by stepping on whatever (like the Constitution and Rule of Law) or whoever gets in his way (on Americans), only Obama doesn't understand Americans because he was not raised as one.

We get incredibly ticked off when people start forcing us to do things, even things we might do on our own without coercion, because we resent coercion....At least I think we still do.

For Russia, for this situation, we are somewhat mesmerized by someone who would ruthlessly attack our enemies, the enemies of Western Civilization, while the resident at 1600 PA Ave waffles and pisses around and sides with those of his Muslim Faith.

Once again, though, in their desire to see America strong, people are forgetting that the blade that cuts outward against our enemies could cut on the back swing just as well.

This happened in a Germany, unemployed and frustrated with the impotence of the Wiemar Republic and a lousy economy, a situation which seems uncannily familiar.

Politically, give your best friend no more power than you would give your worst enemies. The tide inevitably changes, and what you grant to use against others may come back at you in other hands.

Yes, I am glad Putin is attacking ISIS with little apparent reservation. I only pray we have the good sense to either get the hell out of the way or cooperate/coordinate with them and avoid mutual hostilities.