The Madness of Vladimir Putin

American Thinker.com ^ | February 28, 2022 | Michael Curtis

[Kaslin]

Throughout history, political leaders have acted in strange fashion, with symptoms of neurosis, trauma, and anxiety. The list is long of those exhibiting some indication of insanity. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon 604-562 B.C., made no secret of his ambition to conquer the world, and saw himself as a deity. Caligula, Emperor of Rome, attempted to appoint his horse to the office of consul. Ivan the Terrible expanded the territory of Russia, created the secret police, and murdered his own son. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin vie for leading personification of hatred, evil, and madness.

Russia this week may remember that madness since it is the anniversary of a speech denouncing a regime of suspicion, fear, and terror. On February 25, 1956, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, delivered a speech at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party denouncing his predecessor Joseph Stalin as a brutal despot. He revealed the cruelties of the regime, the trials of members of the Politburo, the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934, and the execution of innocent political rivals for that assassination. Khrushchev indicated that in 1937-1938, 98 of the 139 members of the Central Committee of the party were killed on Stalin’s orders.

Madness has often been depicted in fiction. James Bond has confronted Blofeld, Goldfinger, Scaramanga, and other madmen equipped with a white cat and pool of piranhas, seeking the destruction of the world. Perhaps the most well-known and entertaining presentation of derangement is Don Quixote, seeking adventures and attempting to perform deeds of heroism, mistaking a field of windmills for giants and attacking them, and battling a herd of sheep with an aim to exemplify the idea of chivalry.

[FreedomPoster]

What if he is acting rationally from his perspective?

Ukraine: Outside “The Narrative”
Other Factors, Motivations, and Justifications Behind The Russian Invasion of Ukraine
https://americanstoic.substack.com/p/ukraine-outside-the-narrative?utm_source=url

Honestly, this item you’ve posted seems little more than a propaganda piece working to demonize Putin. I don’t like the guy, but there’s little to like about the Ukrainian leadership, either. Or about our current leadership, to be honest.

[Sirius Lee]

Madness has often been depicted in fiction. James Bond has confronted Blofeld, Goldfinger, Scaramanga, and other madmen equipped with a white cat and pool of piranhas

Ain't nothing compared to the real thing...

[Lee'sGhost]

American Thinker may be overthinking this. My theory, based on almost nothing, is that Vlad has been diagnosed with cancer or some other life-ending ailment. He’s desperate to fulfill his dream of restoring a Russian empire before he dies.

[Socon-Econ]

Is Putin “mad” in the usual sense of the word?
— For gettin into a fight that makes no sense even from his own point of view? Yes.
— For distrusting NATO and the elites running its member states? No.

[SERKIT]

Mad Vlad the Flailer.

[SaveFerris]

(Blofeld)

George Soros?

[gleeaikin]

My theory is he is suffering from the recognition of the fatal illness—AGE. He is 69 so soon will be 70. I’m reminded of the fatal folly of Crassus, who with Ceasar and Pompey was the part of the Roman triumvirate, who had the middle east as his territory. In his mid 50s he decided he just had to conquer the Parthian Empire before he got too old, and went to war to make his eternal name. He failed, died, and young Cassius (of the lean and hungry look) managed to save 10,000 Romans and bring them home alive. Years later Ceasar wanted to avenge Crassus’ defeat and post death humiliation and once again attack the Parthians. That is why Cassius wanted to assassinate Ceasar. Wars in the Parthian area do not turn out well as we have learned in recent decades. Read the link below and see how supreme wealth was not enough to satisfy him, and probably not Putin either. Also see what the winners did to Crassus head which probably motivated Ceasar’s “ambition.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus

[Gaffer]

I am more concerned about the Madness [dementia, senility and incompetence] of the US’s President, frankly.

[The Great RJ]

I have yet to understand Putins endgame. His army will likely crush the Ukrainians, but his army of occupation will be subject to continued resistance fighting and the sullen population will certainly not be welcoming to occupation. At least some of Ukraine’s infrastructure will be destroyed if not through war or by scorched earth fighting and sabotage. International sanctions will seriously hurt the Russian economy. I would also see he will lose considerable support from the Russian people who could oust him from power. It would seem that Putin has not that much to gain from this venture.

[dfwgator]

Sounds like Putin didn’t have a “Plan B” in case the Ukrainians actually resisted.