Vladimir Putin and the Lessons of 1938

Politco ^ | 16 Mar14 | GARRY KASPAROV

[elhombrelibre]

t’s been a busy few weeks for Vladimir Putin. In the last month, the Russian president has hosted the Olympic Games, invaded a neighboring country and massed troops along its border. Back in Moscow, the Kremlin has cranked up the volume of hysterical anti-Western propaganda to a roar while cracking down on the last vestiges of the free media. All the while, he proclaims he wants peace and accuses Western leaders of hypocrisy and anti-Russian sentiment. If Putin wanted to do a better imitation of Adolf Hitler circa 1936-1938, he would have to grow a little mustache. Equally troubling is that the leaders of Europe and the United States have been doing a similarly good impersonation of the weak-kneed and risk-averse leaders who enabled Hitler’s rise in the 1930s.

I know full well that any mention of the maniacal Nazi leader is viewed as being in poor taste by many. The good news is that it took many years for the West to finally admit that Putin is a dictator and only a few weeks for respected public figures such as Hillary Clinton to acknowledge how closely he is following in Hitler’s footsteps right now. Nobody except the most naked of Kremlin apologists is debating whether Putin’s anything but a tyrant anymore. Instead, we’re searching for the right historical analogy: Is it Budapest 1956? Prague 1968? Austria 1938?

[elhombrelibre]

Quote:

"It’s “rule like Stalin, live like Trump.”

[MarMema]

...and only a few weeks for respected public figures such as Hillary Clinton to acknowledge how closely he is following in Hitler’s footsteps right now

Gag and puke. No thank you.

[goldstategop]

I don’t think there is one.

Putin wants to be remembered as a great Russian leader but I don’t think he dreams of taking over the world.

The historical analogies don’t tell you much about Russia.

[Cincinatus]

Putin wants to be remembered as a great Russian leader but I don’t think he dreams of taking over the world.

So did Hitler -- the only rub is that Hitler considered the world to be rightfully German territory, where the ubermenschen Aryans would rule the untermenschen everybody else.

[mgist]

Seems to me the West has a propaganda machine that would make Goebbels proud. Nobody knows who to trust.

[mgist]

Exactly, Soros could not have written this bettter,himself.

[nathanbedford]

Is all well and good to note the parallels to the events of 1938 providing we also note the differences as well. The differences lie in the context.

The world of 2014 is not about to enter a war in which a substantial method of conveyance for the German army was the horse. Yes, with all the talk of blitzkrieg and lightning armor strikes the fact is that German logistics was tied to horse-drawn vehicles.

If we enter a war today it will be fought with drones, missiles, and satellites. The occupation of a bit of territory will be the strategic goal only of generals and armchair strategists preparing to fight the last war.

There are lessons to be learned from history but history's lessons can be misleading if the wrong lesson is taken or misapplied in a different age.

[MarMema]

Well they lost me on the “respected public figure” of the hildebeast.

[CitizenUSA]

I think you’re right. Although there are parallels, I don’t think Putin has any intention of annexing Ukraine, the Baltic states, or any other countries that were once part of the USSR—at least not unless they vote that way. There’s no doubt he wants to influence surrounding countries, maybe even politically control them through overt and covert aid to pro-Russian factions, but is he planning an invasion of Europe or even military invasions to recreate the original USSR? I highly doubt it.

[varmintman]

[goldstategop]

Every one in Russia, including his domestic opponents see the Crimean vote as righting a historical injustice and nullifying Khruschev’s 60 year old “gift” to Ukraine.

But that does not mean most Russians would support war with Ukraine. That simply isn’t there.

[McGruff]

Opinions are like pie holes. Everybody’s got one.

[varmintman]

But that does not mean most Russians would support war with Ukraine. That simply isn’t there.

Not only isn't there, but isn't even necessary. Ukrainian is a dead language walking, which is almost certainly the reason the idiots who just took over Kiev have floated at least the idea of banning Russian language in the Ukraine.

Television and the Internet are radically shrinking the world. TV has in fact killed the Southern accent in Texas so that I hear it only amongst people over 60; I expect TV and the internet to kill most of the world's languages in the next 30 years. My guess would be that languages which will still be in use by 2050 will include:

• Two Germanic languages, English and German.
• Two Romance languages, French and Spanish.
• One Slavic language, Russian.
• Hebrew and Arabic.
• One sub-contenent language, Hindi.
• One Chinese language, Mandarin.
• Korean and Japanese.

In particular, I don't see Ukranian surviving another 20 years. There isn't any great opera or literature in Ukranian and anybody in the Ukraine who isn't retarded can speak Russian now. My guess would be that nobody under 40 in the Ukraine speaks Ukrainian any more than they have to.

Where does that leave younger Ukrainians? I don't see that as particularly difficult to figure out. They have a border with Russia, major cultural and commercial ties with Russia, and of the languages which WILL still be spoken 20 years out, Russian is the one they are most familiar with. Their future clearly lies with Russia.

[exPBRrat]

The bottom line is that the Russians have a vital national interest there...

...radical Islam is a 10 fold bigger threat to what remains of western civilization. But this forked tonged socially promoted administration is virtually silent about this threat.

Why is that? hummmmmmmmm.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

My guess is that he will not invade Ukraine—Just digest the Cremea Penn. for a time. He will wait out the “Sanctions” use Vetos to counter the UN mandates, and let America’s short term news cycle put this on the back burner. In time there will be a peace meeting with Kiev and the Russians will forgive some of their debts, and keep the Cremea. It should never have been part of Ukraine anyway—this is a fixing of the borders—thats all. Now if Putin invades the rest of Ukraine... all bets are off.

[MarMema]

Oh yoo hoo. Hillary.

Now who was like Hitler again???

That said, one of its (Ukraine) parliamentary deputies has described the Holocaust as a "bright period" in European history. Its leader, Oleh Tyahnybok, has never disowned an earlier open letter he signed, saying world Jewry was taking over Ukraine and would commit genocide against Ukrainians. Their party platform strives to limit government positions according to ethnicity.

[Jim Noble]

Austria 1938. If it had ended there, would you find fault with it?

[elhombrelibre]

If Hitler’d never come to power, would you find fault with it?

[dfwgator]

Russia, on the other hand, is paranoid about being invaded.