Posted on 05/28/2007 12:35:02 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Seven years ago, the economist Brigitte Granville and I published an article ...titled "Weimar on the Volga," in which we argued that the experience of 1990s Russia bore many resemblances to the experience of 1920s Germany. ...
"By discrediting free markets, the rule of law, parliamentary institutions and international economic openness," ... "the Weimar inflation proved the perfect seedbed for national socialism. In Russia, too, the immediate social costs of high inflation may have grave political consequences in the medium term. As in Weimar Germany, the losers may yet become the natural constituency for a political backlash against both foreign creditors and domestic profiteers."
Seven years later, the man who succeeded Boris N. Yeltsin as our article was going to press is doing much to vindicate our analysis. ...three months ago, I heard Russian President Vladimir V. Putin give a speech in Munich in which he bluntly warned that Washington's "hyper use of force" was "plunging the world into an abyss of permanent conflicts." ...Unlike in the 1950s and 1960s, Russia is not self-confident but insecure. It is reliant on exports of natural resources, not its own ability to match American technological accomplishments. It is a waning power. The value of the parallel with Weimar Germany is precisely that it captures the dangers of a backlash against such weakness.
Having more or less stifled internal dissent, Russia is now ready to play a more aggressive role on the international stage. Remember, it was Putin who restored the old Soviet national anthem. And it was he who described the collapse of the Soviet Union as a "national tragedy on an enormous scale."
It would be a bigger tragedy if he or his successor tried to restore that evil empire. Unfortunately, that is precisely what the Weimar analogy predicts will happen.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What do their shirts say? I ran it through BabelFish and got “down with the _______ fraternity/brotherhood”, but it didn’t translate “bolshogr” (that’s the blank). I’m guessing it’s some variant of bolshevik since they have Putin’s face crossed out and drawn up like Hitler’s, but I dunno.
Hitler was a male prostitute.
Ooops....here I thought I was going to be reading a post about the New York Yankees.
The shirts say “Down with the Big Brother”.
Hogwash
Putin has already organized Krystalnacht style pogroms against Georgian and Estonian businesses in Russia. His Nashi “commissars” spew venom against the jew “traitors” who “stabbed Russia in the back.” Putin demands “self-determination” for Russian minorities in other countries, Hitler’s excuse for invading the Sudetenland. Putin’s economic policies of state-controlled nationalized monopolies are fascist. Putin is a nazi.
Oh, duh! I should’ve figured that out from the ‘brother’ part, since words with bolsh- in them usually mean “big” or something along those lines. Thanks!
Oligarchs manipulating control of 'billions' at the expense of their country needed to be dealt with.
So, Putin's Russia, doesn't cowl to it's enemies within Russia, as we do with our traitorous MSM and Hollywood.
It's amazing, they passed a flat tax and we can't get anything done.
“Putin made the oligarch Abramovich billions richer by borrowing money from Red China to buy one of his companies, and then he appointed him governor of a Siberian region. Putin cracks down on certain oligarchs because he has been bought off by others. He is betraying Russia’s interests to communist China and the jihadists. Putin sells the weapons to Syria and Iran which wage jihad against Israel and against US soldiers in Iraq. He even incorporated thousands of “former rebel” jihadist Chechens into the Russian army and deployed them to Lebanon as “peacekeepers” to protect Hizb-allah from Israel. Russia is on the other side in our fight with Islam, and no amount of attempted appeasement of the mindless Chekist animals will change that fact.”
Well put, about sums it up. Russia seemed to accelerate their anti-USA plans in 2004 when we supported the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. The West’s Nato/EU expansion was a little too close to Russia’s backyard and a matter of big natural resources and national pride.
Nonsense, who?
He is betraying Russia’s interests to communist China and the jihadists.
Nonsense, how?
Putin sells the weapons to Syria and Iran which wage jihad against Israel and against US soldiers in Iraq.
Nonsense again. All I read is road side bombs are made in Iran, as are the rockets Syria are firing. And North Korea suppling delivery systems. As far as I know Russia's has a contract to build a power plant, big deal.
He even incorporated thousands of “former rebel” jihadist Chechens into the Russian army and deployed them to Lebanon as “peacekeepers” to protect Hizb-allah from Israel.
What the hell is a 'former rebel"? A good guy? Last I hear the Lebanese Army is wiping out jihadists. Something they couldn't do before Israel tore the place up and the 'peacekeepers' went in.
Russia is on the other side in our fight with Islam, and no amount of attempted appeasement of the mindless Chekist animals will change that fact.
Russia fought them in Chechnya and supported Serbia against the Islamists in Bosnia and Kosovo. Clinton on the other hand brought the Afghan muhadeen into the Balkans in support of head chopping Islamists.
Get past your hate and look at the facts.
What is nonsense that the Putin Kremlin openly brags of their advanced weapons sales to Israel's enemies and Americans two worst enemies in the Mid-East, Iran & Syria.
Putin's Neo-Soviet empire is a direct threat to Russians seeking a real freedom, in addition to being a threat to the Western world.
Go push your pro-Putin propaganda elsewhere.
Do you have a link.
Putin's Neo-Soviet empire is a direct threat to Russians seeking a real freedom,
He does have a ~80% approval rating, and the economy is growing at a healthy rate. Again, check the facts. in addition to being a threat to the Western world. IMHO, Russia IS is part of the western world. We have more than we can handle with the Islamists why take on the Russians without sufficient cause?
Go push your pro-Putin propaganda elsewhere
I'm not pushing anyone. I'm just questioning the Putin bashing. In years to come, Russia could be one of our best allies.
Propaganda is lies, and you haven't called me on the facts. I'm just calling TailgunnerJoe on the facts. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Remember, it was Putin who restored the old Soviet national anthem.==
It is not true. “The small lie creates the big distrust” to this article.
Putin has already organized Krystalnacht style pogroms against Georgian and Estonian businesses in Russia. ==
It is the big lie. DO you kno what was “Krystalnacht porgom”? And what is the Georgian and Estonian business in Russia? I really didn’t see any.
Viktor Vekselberg, Oleg Deripaska, Roman Abramovich, for starters. Look them up, because you clearly don't know what you're talking about.
How is Russia selling its interests out to Red China?
By selling them most of their military equipment. Russia is the source of the China Threat.
You say it's North Korea is supplying delivery systems for Syria? Who do you think supplies North Korea? Russia. Russia is the evil behind every one of our communist and jihadist enemies.
Russia has GIVEN Chechnya to the jihadists. Chechnya is ruled by a jihadist dictator who used to fight against Russia and slaughter Christians for Allah. Then he made friends with Russia and they put him in charge. He kills other muslims so that makes him a good guy? B.S. All muslims kill other muslims. They worship death. But Chechen jihadists in the Russians army are "good guys" as far as you're concerned and we should root for them against Israel. Not gonna happen.
Grab that overtime comrades, somewhere else, since nobody's buying the Putin pitch in here.
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