I would submit to you that from Putin's perspective, he is not winning. He is regressing.
By his standpoint, he has lost Ukraine. The seventh-largest country in Europe, the crown jewel of "Russian civilization". Lost it, forever. His invasion was intended as a coping mechanism, a compensation. A …
I would submit to you that from Putin's perspective, he is not winning. He is regressing.
By his standpoint, he has lost Ukraine. The seventh-largest country in Europe, the crown jewel of "Russian civilization". Lost it, forever. His invasion was intended as a coping mechanism, a compensation. A vengeful, final spurt of violence, as he rides off, shirtless, into the sunset.
Now Russia's fate is tied to its junior partner status with China. It will never have the nice things the West has, never have the respect the West has. It will decline and sink and stink, and become, as Obama (prematurely) said, a "declining regional power".
Realistically speaking, Russia will never be trusted or partnered by the West again--at least not for another 50 to 75 years. And that's whether or not Trump "wins" in 2024 and spends the rest of his life/term trying to avoid justice and purge his "enemies" throughout the country and the world.
That's not to say Putin is not making life bad for civilized people, or could not potentially end us all out of sheer pique. He did get Trump elected, after all, and he may well do so again. He is like Arcturus Mengsk from Starcraft: "I will RULE this sector or see it BURNT TO ASHES around me."
But I implore Bill, as dark as things are, to have some damn perspective. Putin does not think of himself as a "winner"; quite the contrary. He thinks he's a victim, and oppressed. Most bullies do.
Bill's article on Putin has merit, but. . .
I would submit to you that from Putin's perspective, he is not winning. He is regressing.
By his standpoint, he has lost Ukraine. The seventh-largest country in Europe, the crown jewel of "Russian civilization". Lost it, forever. His invasion was intended as a coping mechanism, a compensation. A vengeful, final spurt of violence, as he rides off, shirtless, into the sunset.
Now Russia's fate is tied to its junior partner status with China. It will never have the nice things the West has, never have the respect the West has. It will decline and sink and stink, and become, as Obama (prematurely) said, a "declining regional power".
Realistically speaking, Russia will never be trusted or partnered by the West again--at least not for another 50 to 75 years. And that's whether or not Trump "wins" in 2024 and spends the rest of his life/term trying to avoid justice and purge his "enemies" throughout the country and the world.
That's not to say Putin is not making life bad for civilized people, or could not potentially end us all out of sheer pique. He did get Trump elected, after all, and he may well do so again. He is like Arcturus Mengsk from Starcraft: "I will RULE this sector or see it BURNT TO ASHES around me."
But I implore Bill, as dark as things are, to have some damn perspective. Putin does not think of himself as a "winner"; quite the contrary. He thinks he's a victim, and oppressed. Most bullies do.