Did you know that you can buy a photobook of Putins’ best photos? It’s true! Like Chavez, Castro, Turkmenbashi, and the other Gap leaders, Putin is building a cult of personality?
This is now an old trend, consistent with Putin’s systematic destruction of ties with the outside world.
It also fits Russia’s status as a state in the Gap. While Georgia joined the WTO back in 2000, and Ukraine joined this summer, no formal meeting on Russia’s status has happened in years.
Not that Russia was close, anyway.
Now that is really scary. Cults of personality too often are led by malignant narcissists – psychopaths with overwhelming need for approval – Saddam Hussein, for example. They revel in brutality and make less than rational opponents – which is dangerous when they have nukes.
U.F.
Agreed.
Yeltsin — a smarter and more competent leader [1] — did not need to travel down this road. Likewise Deng v. Mao in China, or (so it seems) Raul v. Fidel in Cuba.
Putin’s traveling down the same road as Saddam in Iraq, cementing his power domestically while alienating friends abroad. [2] He knows how to be “Russian,” perhaps, but not “Soviet.” Similarly, Milosevic knew how to be Serb, but not Yugoslav.
[1] http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/08/19/the-best-and-the-brighest.html
[2] http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/08/18/russias-evaporated-soft-power.html
Dan tdaxp, its obvious that you just don’t like Putin. Drunken Yeltsin allowed the international manipulators to steal the Russian people’s wealth. After 8 years of Putin, the average Russian is much better off and Russia has increased its power in the world. Of course you’ll say “that’s becuase of rising oil prices.” However, this wealth would never have went to the Russian people if the international manipulators still controlled Russia.
Then you’ll go on about Russia being a parasite nation. But is it not parasitical when the Chicoms deflate their currency and refuse to open markets to American goods? Or how about when the Chicom’s utilize neo-Mercantilist policies in Africa and South America?
I believe this is called “selective outrage?”
Seerov,
Who are you speaking of?
Obviously not.
Russia is siphoning wealth off the world without producing anything of value.
China, if it is behaving as you accuse it of behaving – is underbidding competitors in order to increase market share.
This is like calling Walmart parasitic, because it would be better for Target if Walmart’s prices were higher!