Is Putin Channeling Trump?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine evokes only one question: What is Vladimir Putin thinking? He’s obviously gone off the rails. When he threatened nuclear war saying, “…the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history” I was flabbergasted. Face slap! He’s channeling Donald Trump! He has gone off the rails.
In 2017, Trump, while ranting about North Korea, said, “… and as I said they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” Putin wasn’t quite as dramatic as Trump, but side-by-side those are basically the same statement. The only excuse for such blatant plagiarism that would fly is if Putin said Melania wrote it. Otherwise, Putin is obviously channeling Trump.
Russia’s invasion now evokes many more questions. Is Putin trying to prove a point by parroting Trump? Is he throwing American words in our face for a laugh? It isn’t funny. It wasn’t funny when Trump said it, either. Such bluster is a dick measuring contest. A Mario Cart race to the bottom when it comes to nukes. Hopefully, Putin is only being as blusterous as the Donald (and has no problem down there, either).
Unpredictability was a Trump trademark. You never knew what he was thinking and most of the time you figured he wasn’t. Putin has never come across as being a rash man prone to acting on emotion, but maybe he is. He’s got it down pat at the moment. His image in my mind is the strong, silent type with a cancerous lump of rat bastard sneakiness thrown in.
What does he hope to accomplish? Did he learn nothing from watching years of America’s failed occupations? Did he think the Ukrainians would be sticking flowers in the Kalashnikov barrels to welcome Russian liberation? Did he think the Ukrainians would be rejoicing like the Iraqis did when America freed them from Saddam? They are — exactly. Why can’t these newly liberated people understand that whatever country it is bombing them only engages in “shock and awe” campaigns to show their country some tough love?
Speaking of failed invasions, maybe instead of Trump, Putin’s channeling George W. Bush. He’s certainly proving once and for all that preemptive war is just as illegal now as when America waged one. Perhaps, he’s being ironic in a sarcastic tone. If so, he sure knows how to stick the knife in and twist.
One motivation that comes to my cynical mind is the price of oil. Oil props up the Russian economy and as long as Putin stays in Ukraine and no one can figure out what the fuck he’s doing the price of oil will maintain this astronomical spike. There are no sanctions on Russian oil or wheat, which should tell us something about how serious the world really is to stop this war. Manipulating markets with the power of the presidency is a very Trumpian tactic and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt the channel is wide open between Putin and Trump.
Thus far, Biden has been handling the situation as well as anyone could expect. At least he hasn’t keeled over from the stress.
When Putin raised his nuclear threat level, Biden didn’t respond in kind. Placing nuclear forces on “special alert” is political posturing anyway. Aren’t all countries with nukes on special alert all the time? Everything surrounding the nuclear arsenal is continuously on “special alert” up to, and including, the nuclear football that follows the president.
Biden knows he has to walk a thin line because Putin’s true motives really are unknown. Dude might be crazy. So far, he’s traversed it nimbly. (First and last time that word will ever be used to describe this president.) If he can protect the world from a nuclear war, maybe the world will rally around him. Probably not the Republicans, but the world is still pretty good.
This is a dangerous moment in history. Faced with a resistant Ukrainian military and a future promising endless guerrilla warfare, international sanctions on the Russian economy, and Russians in the streets protesting the bombing of their Ukrainian comrades, Putin could lose the control he’s exercised for decades. Could he lose power? Backed into a corner, what would such a powerful ego do? Accept his loss graciously?
Don’t forget who he’s channeling. If he holds a rally, we’re all goners.
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