While that much is true -- Putin is a tyrant -- you must acknowledge two things.
First: Tyrants do not need to consider how they appear. They are tyrants. If Putin embraces Christianity (and there are posts on this thread that he does), he does so willingly and with no thought to 'polls' or 'worldwide opinion'.
And second: A little background on the psyche of the Russian people is in order here. I consider myself a student of Russia, even speaking the language conversationally. I have visited Russia for an extended period, once. They are not like Americans, who's national character was based upon rebellion against authority and a yearning for freedom. In Russia, the people have been beaten by rifle butts for so many centuries, they do not even know what to DO with freedom. They want a strongman leader. They couldn't cope with the early 90's, when there was no such man. They prefer order to personal freedom.
I think you are right. BTW Q would like to hear from you and get an update on your life. He still has the same phone # & sends you warm greetings.
Look Spaz, I mean taz:
I’m not going to acknowledge any such thing. Russia hasn’t had a chance to build and develop democratic institutions. They can learn; they have some of the best academic schools in math and science. They can learn social studies!
“They do not even know what to DO with freedom.”
Do you realize how utterly condescending this is? Russia went from the Soviet communist model to the oligarch Putin tyrant model, they haven’t exactly had one generation to get the poison out of their system.
Putin is playing up the historical revival of Russia and the Orthodox Church. There’s no monumental moving of the spirit here. He’s got a job to do and he’s looting billions. Same as any world class tyrant.