Posted on 03/01/2022 4:07:04 PM PST by untenured
When I watched Vladimir Putin, with what the Russians so graphically call his “tin eyes,” justify his invasion of Ukraine, I thought, as did many others, that he looked a little deranged. Denazification, indeed! Had he failed to appreciate that Ukraine, not noted throughout its history for its philo-Semitism, had elected a Jewish president, and that by a large majority, thereby suggesting a major cultural shift in the country?
It then occurred to me that Putin looked rather puffy in the face, and I wondered whether he could be taking steroids. These drugs are noted for their numerous side effects, not the least being psychological changes such as paranoia and elevation and depression of mood. Then there was the question, of course, as to why Putin would be taking them. Cancer, perhaps—a lymphoma? This brought to mind Evelyn Waugh’s somewhat uncharitable remark when Randolph Churchill underwent surgery for cancer: that it was characteristic of modern medicine to have removed the only part of him that was not malignant.
If Putin were taking steroids, his extreme and seemingly bizarre anxiety about contracting Covid-19 would be explained. Both the underlying condition of cancer itself and the drugs would have made him vulnerable to such anxiety, and the man who once liked to present himself as the Russian Crocodile Dundee, bare-chestedly wrestling bears and the like, has undergone a gestalt switch: invulnerability has been replaced by its opposite, unseen danger with every breath. It is hazardous, however, to ascribe actions that we do not like to madness. This is for two reasons: first, the diagnosis may be wrong—the apparently mad may in fact be sane—and second, madness can have its own rationality. Indeed, the mad of strong character can often take others along with them: they can persuade others that their paranoid view of the world is correct. This is especially so when they possess levers of power over people of lesser character than themselves.
People can be mad and realistic at the same time. Their paranoia has a self-fulfilling quality: if you behave as if people were against you, people will soon begin to behave as if they were against you. The origins of the problem become lost in a vicious circle of historical recrimination. But, given a paranoid premise, the mad can proceed rationally. If you think your food is being poisoned, it is perfectly sensible to try it out first on the cat.
The power of the paranoid over their followers is, however, fragile, as is that of those who rule principally by fear. Separated for a time from contact with the worldview of their leader, or if the hold of fear is suddenly broken, the power collapses. The madness of the madman is suddenly revealed; the fearful suddenly realize that it takes two to be ruled by fear. The mad or fear-instilling megalomaniac then lashes out—for he knows that, like the late Nicolae Ceaușescu, he is either powerful or dead.
In Ionesco’s great play, The King Departs, the ruler of his crumbling kingdom, the absurdly named Bérenger, learns that he is soon to die (as he never thought until then that he ever would), and he makes a speech in which he demands that after his death all history books should be about him, all statues should represent him, all public institutions should be named after him. It is his revenge on mortality, as perhaps is Putin’s threat of nuclear war.
I should, perhaps, declare an interest: I am taking steroids myself. Perhaps this is clouding my judgment.
Theodore Dalrymple is a contributing editor of City Journal, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and the author of many books, including Out into the Beautiful World and Grief and Other Stories.
My criteria for evaluating these kinds of articles is to search the web to see what the person said about Bidet’s mental condition.
I did the search and found.....
crickets.
So—the writer has an agenda/narrative.
Sh*t
And there are also entire neo-nazi military units in the Ukraine
I wouldn’t mind the doc’s analysis if he was balanced?
Shelling of the breakaway provinces?
One third or Ukraine Russian or Russian leaning?
A: The sound of one hand clapping
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/02/16/ukra-f16.html
Putin is correct in identifying Neo Nazi’s in Ukrainian military, they have a long history in Ukraine. Most Neo Nazi units have been deployed in the Donbas ( Ukrainian Separatist areas). Both Russia and Ukrainian governments are very corrupted and both evil. Support none, don’t feed the evil.
15 watts worth of action, on 5 watt fuses.
“What’s Behind Putin’s Eyes?”
Let’s hope we get a definitive answer to your question when one of his generals shoots Putin in the back of the head and finds out.
I’d rather watch “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
Optic nerve?
CC
The Eyes of Laura Mars
Exactly. We’ve gone from Covid/mask hysteria to this bs.
Jooos! are now allegedly the biggest Nazis of them all. See how they mistreat the poor Palestinians? Well? Do you see it? Give me the microscope. There’s a splinter in their eyes somewhere.
GASP! ORGAN CHORD! He’s got Betty Davis eyes!
Agreed.
The new official narrative being pushed on us is “Putin is insane. Putin is dying of cancer. Putin’s medication makes him unstable.”
I have never met Putin, nor do I know anybody that has met him, and have no idea if he is either crafty or crazy, but to suddenly and constantly be bombarded with all of this opinionated commentary from all corners about his sanity only four days after the start of this war, common sense tells me this is nothing more than orchestrated propaganda, and as such, meaningless noise. Where was all of this obvious evidence before the war started?
When I see an equal amount of scrutiny applied to the mental state, lack of morality and ethics, or the obvious corruption and treason of people like Biden, Kammel Toe, Pelosi, Hillary, Schiff and all the other assorted traitors, criminals and lunatics in our own government, then I’ll lend an ear to it. Until then it’s just irritating noise to me and not worth my time or consideration. There are for more important and genuine issues in my life that require my full attention.
Pure evil.
Seems to become the case with all politicians eventually.
Which is why they should only be allowed two terms in office then sent back into the real world to make their way under the rules they put in place for other people.
:looks pious:
It is for the good of their soul.
Putin looks bloated. People gain weight you know. Speculation is fun and even interesting but basing a theory on this speculation is weak.
What's absurd about it? There were several Lombard chieftains and kings named Berengarius, or similar versions of the name, in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Biden always squinting. Or wide eyed crazy.
What is behind Putin’s eyes? I can only answer about 1000 times more than what is in Biden’s eyes. Bidens mind is sliding into “Derp mode.”
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