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I Don't Understand it. Someone Please Explain it to Me - Putin

lurchadams

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He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.
 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.
He has for a long time had this compulsion to be the saviour of Russia that brings back the USSR/ Russian Empire and corrects the big unjust wrong that was the "geopolitical disaster" that the collapse of the USSR was. It's basically always been about making "Russia great again". For Putin and his ideologues only Great Powers are real nations with real intentions. The nations that broke off from the USSR are not real, and doesn't have their own identity or even political ambitions, they are just manipulated by the West. The whole idea that Ukrainians are an own people and not Russians, is a ideology in it's core hostile to Russia and thus it's Nazism. The historical wrong must be corrected, and Russia must reabsorb the Russkiy Mir (Russian space) and denazify the lost brothers who are deceived into believe they are not Russians.
 
Why? Please someone explain it to me.

Easy, politicians get off on exercising political power. They want that more than money, more than love, more than just about anything.


 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.

He had it all -- by robbing the Russian people blind. Putin created a mafia state in which he creates an economy based on kleptocracy. Those oligarchs everyone keeps talking about? They answer to *him*, not US or Western financial interests. Putin rewarded them with state contracts for businesses like mining, big oil, big coal, and other industries.

The Ukraine invasion is based partly on an old-school Russian ideology which posits that Ukraine is a part of Russia and that it doesn't have its own identity, but beyond that, there's a contempt for the West and Western liberal, democratic, free market thinking.

Any autocrat that wants to survive understands that ideas easily travel across borders. Democratic ideas can travel across borders, and that's a problem for goons who run a mafia state like Putin. My own belief is that Putin not only viewed Ukraine as 'his' or 'Russian', but that he also felt like Ukraine's lean to the West was going to create problems for him down the road. 'Democracy over there' is one thing; democracy on your doorstep, in a country where many Russians still have close relatives? No ****ing way, as far as Putin's concerned. He's afraid that Russians might see a free and Western Ukraine succeeding in giving people a better quality of life and that Russians might actually wake up, realize that they don't have to get their hard-earned tax dollars stolen, and want that 'freedom' thing for themselves. And that also means that Putin's ass would likely end up in jail. There's just no way he's going to stand by and watch that happen.

I digress, but this is also why Xi Jinping crushed the Hong Kong democracy movement a few years ago -- same exact reason. Yes, HK is a part of China, and it's China's territory and wanted to assert itself in that regard. But the deeper reason for the crackdown is that democracy is a dangerous idea for an authoritarian regime. Democracy in Japan and Korea? Not great but tolerable. Democracy in a city-state where people speak the same language and share the same cultural traditions and is just an hour's bus ride from one of your most populous and economically sensitive regions? Again, no ****ing way, in the CCP's view.

The fight we're having now with Russia (and I'd add China and others are probably secretly siding with the Kremlin on this one) - the fight we're having is not just about Ukraine; it's so much bigger than that. Right now the liberal democratic and free market world order controls the world, and whatever it's faults, I argue that this is largely a good thing. I'm not afraid to be biased in that regard. Russia is attacking that world order. They want to break NATO. They want to divide EU countries and peel countries like Hungary and Poland away. They want to create political divisions within EU countries by aiding far-right movements in France, in Germany, and they also want to do this in the United States as well. Aiding the far right creates civil discord and distracts these countries. China is right there with Russia on this. I'd argue that even Modhi's India and much of the autocratic Middle East is as well, although these regimes have to be careful not to injure their biggest customers.
 
He had it all -- by robbing the Russian people blind. Putin created a mafia state in which he creates an economy based on kleptocracy. Those oligarchs everyone keeps talking about? They answer to *him*, not US or Western financial interests. Putin rewarded them with state contracts for businesses like mining, big oil, big coal, and other industries.

The Ukraine invasion is based partly on an old-school Russian ideology which posits that Ukraine is a part of Russia and that it doesn't have its own identity, but beyond that, there's a contempt for the West and Western liberal, democratic, free market thinking.

Any autocrat that wants to survive understands that ideas easily travel across borders. Democratic ideas can travel across borders, and that's a problem for goons who run a mafia state like Putin. My own belief is that Putin not only viewed Ukraine as 'his' or 'Russian', but that he also felt like Ukraine's lean to the West was going to create problems for him down the road. 'Democracy over there' is one thing; democracy on your doorstep, in a country where many Russians still have close relatives? No ****ing way, as far as Putin's concerned. He's afraid that Russians might see a free and Western Ukraine succeeding in giving people a better quality of life and that Russians might actually wake up, realize that they don't have to get their hard-earned tax dollars stolen, and want that 'freedom' thing for themselves. And that also means that Putin's ass would likely end up in jail. There's just no way he's going to stand by and watch that happen.

I digress, but this is also why Xi Jinping crushed the Hong Kong democracy movement a few years ago -- same exact reason. Yes, HK is a part of China, and it's China's territory and wanted to assert itself in that regard. But the deeper reason for the crackdown is that democracy is a dangerous idea for an authoritarian regime. Democracy in Japan and Korea? Not great but tolerable. Democracy in a country that's just an hour's bus ride from one of your most populous and economically sensitive regions? Again, no ****ing way, in the CCP's view.

The fight we're having now with Russia (and I'd add China and others are probably secretly siding with the Kremlin on this one) - the fight we're having is not just about Ukraine; it's so much bigger than that. Right now the liberal democratic and free market world order controls the world, and whatever it's faults, I argue that this is largely a good thing. I'm not afraid to be biased in that regard. Russia is attacking that world order. They want to break NATO. They want to divide EU countries and peel countries like Hungary and Poland away. They want to create political divisions within EU countries by aiding far-right movements in France, in Germany, and they also want to do this in the United States as well. Aiding the far right creates civil discord and distracts these countries. China is right there with Russia on this. I'd argue that even Modhi's India and much of the autocratic Middle East is as well, although these regimes have to be careful not to injure their biggest customers.
"Democracy is a bad idea for an authoritarian regime". Thanks, man. I think you just nailed it - Putin couldn't stand a successful democracy being right next door. That might threaten his hold on power. He's a sociopath!
 
My guess is that he wants to show the world that he can reassemble the Soviet Union and rule it like a czar.
 
He has for a long time had this compulsion to be the saviour of Russia that brings back the USSR/ Russian Empire and corrects the big unjust wrong that was the "geopolitical disaster" that the collapse of the USSR was. It's basically always been about making "Russia great again". For Putin and his ideologues only Great Powers are real nations with real intentions. The nations that broke off from the USSR are not real, and doesn't have their own identity or even political ambitions, they are just manipulated by the West. The whole idea that Ukrainians are an own people and not Russians, is a ideology in it's core hostile to Russia and thus it's Nazism. The historical wrong must be corrected, and Russia must reabsorb the Russkiy Mir (Russian space) and denazify the lost brothers who are deceived into believe they are not Russians.
Yeah, I think you nailed it, too. He has a grandiose vision of himself as some kind of deity. It's like insanity. You get so much money, so much power, you feel like others are like ants.

**** Putin. I hope he's killed soon.
 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.
Here ya go:

 
Because he can. And I don't think he will personally face consequences. Maybe he can never leave Russia for fear of arrest, but so what
 
Putin does not have everything he wants. What Putin wants is the restoration of the Soviet Union and he'll do whatever it takes and whatever he can get away with, to get it.
 
Because he can. And I don't think he will personally face consequences. Maybe he can never leave Russia for fear of arrest, but so what
I hope he's found in a spider hole, like Sadaam.
 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.

You are asking the wrong questions, and in some respects ignoring Putin's past.

Putin is a relic of the cold war era with a history literally in counterintelligence, and has been somewhat successful in reviving that mentality of east vs. west. Putin has always wanted the old USSR days back, and as long as he remains in power his capability will ensure we continue down a very terrible path.

Sure, Putin is a homicidal lunatic... who happens to be in sole charge of a nuclear powered nation and arguably with a significant military reporting directly to him.

Power hungry authoritarian on steroids.
 
Saddam didn't have nukes.
No, but everyone in the Bush admin claimed he did and was ready to strike - remember the "we don't want to hesitate, lest we all be vaporized. Bush and his admin are all war criminals, Cheyney and Bush aren't much better than Putin, IMO. They caused the same level of death and destruction.
 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.
 
Remember the movie "American Gangster" based on a true story? The gangster had it all. Millions and millions of dollars, power beyond imagination, all the riches anyone could have. But he had to go back for one more run. A run that meant nothing. A run with no apparent profit. Why? Why risk it all?

What such people are addicted to is not the riches. It's not the fame. It's the power rush. It's the thrill of getting away with something. It's why rich people steal and powerful people commit crimes.

It's a power rush and nothing will ever satisfy it. That's why Putin does what he does. He rides a dragon.
 
Putin does not have everything he wants. What Putin wants is the restoration of the Soviet Union and he'll do whatever it takes and whatever he can get away with, to get it.

What he really wants is for Western democracy to get the hell off his front lawn, because it represents a clear and present danger to his thuggish, thieving regime. But to do that, he first has to break the liberal democratic, free market capitalist world order - the same world order that's taking a wrecking ball to his economy right now. He wants to divide the EU, divide the trans-Atlantic alliance. He wants to weaken liberal democracies from within so that they're too distracted on their own problems to pin him in Russia.
 
He had it all. He's a butcher and a sociopath, but he had it all. He could set himself up with a sweet, militarily protected island in the Pacific somewhere and live a great life now.

But NO! He decided to attack/level/murder. Why? What have the Ukrainian people done to him that they deserve to be "cleanesed"?

He could retire now, or continue to rule Russia for the rest of his life, but he did THIS?!!

Why? Please someone explain it to me.
The drive to achieve higher status is instinctive. Those with strong expressions of this instinct need no one to be wealthier, more powerful, get to do things they don’t.

Once they reach the pinnacle of status where they are born they must turn outward to feed that drive.

Feeding this jones for those who have it is all the world is really doing. And letting them chase that dragon never ends well for anybody, historically.
 
Remember the movie "American Gangster" based on a true story? The gangster had it all. Millions and millions of dollars, power beyond imagination, all the riches anyone could have. But he had to go back for one more run. A run that meant nothing. A run with no apparent profit. Why? Why risk it all?

What such people are addicted to is not the riches. It's not the fame. It's the power rush. It's the thrill of getting away with something. It's why rich people steal and powerful people commit crimes.

It's a power rush and nothing will ever satisfy it. That's why Putin does what he does. He rides a dragon.
I swear I didn’t read your post before I made mine.
 
Remember the movie "American Gangster" based on a true story? The gangster had it all. Millions and millions of dollars, power beyond imagination, all the riches anyone could have. But he had to go back for one more run. A run that meant nothing. A run with no apparent profit. Why? Why risk it all?

What such people are addicted to is not the riches. It's not the fame. It's the power rush. It's the thrill of getting away with something. It's why rich people steal and powerful people commit crimes.

It's a power rush and nothing will ever satisfy it. That's why Putin does what he does. He rides a dragon.

But it's not a power rush. It's not a cheap thrill. It's the survival of his regime that's at stake.

Like many people who live in closed, corrupt, authoritarian political systems, most Russians assume that this is as good as it gets, that corruption and politicians looting the coffers is inevitable. "I mean, hey, all politicians are hopelessly corrupt, right? So why bother demanding for 'reforms'." Russians remember the last 'reformer', Boris Yeltsin. And they remember those times and Yeltsin's presidency as a drunken goddamn disaster - and they weren't entirely wrong. For many Russians, Putin's as good as it gets. Yeah he's a sonofabitch, but at least there's order and people know what they're getting. That's the thinking because they've not had any reason to believe it's possible to make a democracy work in the Russian sphere.

And that is exactly why Putin has repeatedly meddled in Ukraine's democracy. He wants to keep things ****ed up in Ukraine. Putin doesn't want Russians to look at Ukraine and think that democracy can work there, because if it can work next door, guess what? People might start getting these crazy ideas in their head that "Holy shit, democracy can work in Russia, too!"

Historically, Ukraine has had dysfunction and problems with corruption just like Russia has. Russians still have lots of ties to Ukraine, and many have close family there. When Russians look at Ukraine they see a Russian satellite. And with that thinking, the default assumption is that Western democracy can't make life better for anyone in Ukraine or Russia. So when Ukraine says "Hey Putin, guess what, we're gonna join the EU and we might even join NATO, too", that's a red line for Putin. That's a direct challenge to his regime, to his survival. If Westernism can work in Ukraine, then people might believe it can work in Russia, too, and that could mean the end of Putin. He's not going to just sit by and watch this go down.
 
The drive to achieve higher status is instinctive. Those with strong expressions of this instinct need no one to be wealthier, more powerful, get to do things they don’t.

Once they reach the pinnacle of status where they are born they must turn outward to feed that drive.

Feeding this jones for those who have it is all the world is really doing. And letting them chase that dragon never ends well for anybody, historically.

I'm hesitant to call it instinct. The world that humans evolved in is radically different than the one we started living in about 8,000-11,000 years ago. We evolved to be at least as much cooperative as competitive. Like any organism, bands of humans would fight and compete with each other if there was real scarcity, but we dealt with this conflict in ways that were generally peaceful. We typically just moved on to the next fresh water source, the next meadow, forest, whatever.

Once we started storing grains and farming, our world changed forever. Our populations grew. We lived in much larger groups that needed specialization and special skills and knowledge in order to sustain the growing complexity to make it all work. This created inequality. It also created not just real scarcity, but perceived scarcity. When humans began living in larger, more complex, and less egalitarian society, we began to notice inequality. And ordinary folk regularly fought against their masters whenever the came to this realization. And chiefs, leaders, etc came to a counter-realization: they needed to suppress and dominate people if they were to maintain their status at apex of a complex civilization.
 
He's an old commie.


Guess who seems to like him?
 
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