Posted on 12/03/2015 9:26:51 AM PST by Kaslin
Truth be told, I once rather admired Vladimir Putin, as George W. Bush rather admired him. I cannot say, as Bush can, that I looked into his eyes and "was able to get a sense of his soul." But his nation has suffered through a long century, when the Western world had achieved so much. True, the Russian despots put the Western world through dreadful travail, but in terms of wealth and happiness, we did OK. The 20th century has been the best, by far, for the West -- at least in material terms. Meanwhile, the Russian despots were veritable jailers to their countrymen and they cost them dearly. At the end of the Cold War, Russia was an emerging nation.
However, here was Putin -- a man who might bring the Russians into the modern world. In fact, when he came to presidency in Russia he was doing just that; arriving in the modern world with freedom, a semblance of the rule of law and a rich countryside on which the liberated Russians could apply their variegated talents. It seemed to me that Putin might just be the man to lead the gifted Russian people to success in the world community. Besides, he was in the prime of middle age and, with regularity, retired to the gym at the end of a busy day. How could I not have admiration for a man who challenged the vicissitudes of aging?
Alas, Putin has turned out to be, as Holman H. Jenkins Jr. said in The Wall Street Journal last week, a "gambler" whose gambits in the Middle East now testify to "the unhealthiness of his domestic political situation." Through his reckless roll of the dice, he has cost 224 Russian lives returning home from a holiday in Egypt. Now he has cost the lives of two of his airmen, and lost a fighter plane and helicopter on a rescue mission. What does he have to show for his recklessness? His economy is, as I predicted a year or so ago, in the tank. It has mainly been based on the price of oil. More vigorous economies, such as South Korea and the Czech Republic, rely on manufacturing for at least 20 percent of their economic growth. In Putin's Russia, the figure was 15 percent in 2014 -- possibly lower. According to the International Monetary Fund, if you left out oil and gas, Russia's non-oil revenues were descending to an 11 percent deficit of GDP. Still, Putin continued his military buildup.
The buildup was premised on oil that cost $100 a barrel. That price has now been split in half. Recently Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Borisov reported, "For the first half of the year, Russia's arms industries only fulfilled 38 percent of their contracts." Such is the state of the Russian economy: Its military spending, which ranked the third highest in the world last year, now ranks seventh or eighth. And the economic picture is worsening. Military shipments are missing their targets and their quality is dubious.
However, Putin's commitments in Crimea and the Middle East have actually grown. He is even shaking his fist at Turkey and NATO. He is regularly pictured with the same dour expression on his face, even when he was photographed shirtless and seated on a horse. In his trademark pose, he has raised a perpetual pout to the level of fierce defiance. But whom is he defying? Our president? The guy who is famous for changing American strategy, at least for now, and leading from behind?
President Putin is engaged in propping up Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. He is also promising to bring down ISIS. France, after suffering a cruel ISIS attack, is trying to summon the Western powers and Russia against ISIS. Russia has its own bloody history with homegrown Islamists. Now would be a good time to disengage from Assad and join the French in finishing off ISIS and bringing stability to the Middle East. Putin could defy our president to his heart's content and join the rest of the civilized world by leading from the middle. He would not have to miss a night at the gym.
I never thought I would trust a former KGB man turned leader of Russia more than my own president. But I do.
If Putin takes on Islamofascist Turkey, good. If Putin takes on ISIS, good. If Putin wants to bomb Obutthead and the GOPe’s anti-assad AL QAEDA backed Syrian rebels, good.
All that is more than fine with me.
But, all that leaves Iran in the catbird seat, and they are the source and inspiration of a lot of terrorism.
But, all that leaves Iran in the catbird seat, and they are the source and inspiration of a lot of terrorism.
Nice article. While there are things Putin does well, on the balance the bad far outweighs the good. He runs Russia as a repressive kleptocracy, and while the average Russian lives better than his Soviet ancestors did, all is not well in Mother Russia.
Oh well, at least he still lets his best hockey players compete in the NHL. Like I said, he’s not all bad.
I really can’t help but feel that the devious political crap Putin has done to reach the top is really no different from the Clintons. His power seeking was what was possible within the Russian system, while the Clintons did whatever was possible within their ability of the US system
I know moral-equivalency is a leftist trait, but unfortunately its a feeling I can’t shake.
“Through his reckless roll of the dice, he has cost 224 Russian lives returning home from a holiday in Egypt. Now he has cost the lives of two of his airmen, and lost a fighter plane and helicopter on a rescue mission.”
That’s all lefty speak, directly from the leftist mind, the way they think.
Let me use that same style of thinking for WWII’s Normandy invasion:
“General Eisenhower’s reckless pursuit of personal glory cost thousands upon thousands of Amercian, British and Canadian lives on the beaches of Normandy.”
I don’t trust that arrogant pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave either, and never have.
What? I don't agree with Emmet's cause and effect. ISIS killed those tourists. And they have slaughtered a lot of other people, Christians, Yazidis, and other muslims. What was their reckless roll of the dice that put them on the chopping block?
No need to mention that Putin had no choice but to deal with these threats to Russians, either.
Screw you, Bobby Tyrrell
Thank god somebody is kicking ISIS’s ___. Obama won’t. Because he’s one of them.
“At the end of the Cold War, Russia was an emerging nation. “
At the end of WWII Russia wasn’t a nation.
The USSR then was absolutely controlled by Stalin, who wasn’t even Russian.
“Such is the state of the Russian economy:”
Russia is emerging from 80 year commie takeover.
USA is just entering ours. What happens to our economy when every election from now goes left due to mass immigration?
“Through his reckless roll of the dice, he has cost 224 Russian lives returning home from a holiday in Egypt.”
Sure man, Putin is totally to blame for atrocity loving Muslims intentionally blowing up a passenger plane in Egypt.
“Now he has cost the lives of two of his airmen, and lost a fighter plane and helicopter on a rescue mission. What does he have to show for his recklessness?”
Yes how reckless to blow up terrorists with agreement of Syrian government from 4 air base, it’s totally his fault maniac Erdogan assassinate his pilot for crossing border 15 seconds when Turkey invade Greek and Iraqi airspace every single day.
“Now would be a good time to disengage from Assad and join the French in finishing off ISIS and bringing stability to the Middle East. “
Oh yeah man removing Assad would bring peace and tranquility to the middle east, the author knows for a fact that Syrian Christians and other religious minorities fearing genocide are just worried about nothing.
Actually the author doesn’t give a flying crap about them at all and gives them no consideration whatsoever.
Those Qatari and Saudi proxy terrorists who sing songs about genociding everyone who isn’t Sunni and are wiping out religious minority villages right now will bring a government full of human rights and happy unicorns.
I used to admire Tyrell, but then he became... weakly standard somehow.
AMEN
Meanwhile, the average American lives far worse than their ancestors did - and many far worse than Russians =
Spot on
hoohrah!
Well and truly said
Good points, nice to see ya again.
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