Tags
Absolute Power v Democratic Distribution, bashar al assad, Fathers and Daughters, Idlib, medieval v modern, Political Elites, psychology of dictatorship, The Political Memory of the Future, Vladimir Putin, Yarmouk
It’s a wrap, all of it.
https://conflict-backchannels.com/coins-and-other-terms/anthropolitical-psychology/malignant-narcissism/ | https://conflict-backchannels.com/coins-and-other-terms/anthropolitical-psychology/paranoid-delusional-narcissistic-reflection-of-motivation/
Putin was once a brave KGB man in service to the Soviet while in East Germany. He stood off a maddened crowd with a bluff and bought time for the further destruction of KGB records in that Soviet satellite. He may be admired for his extraordinary bravado, courage, and wiles.
When he moved Russia off the pro-democracy track, he inherited an effectively lawless state, one that had transferred the wealth of the Soviet to the Soviet nomenklatura in a fire sale of state assets. Opposition like Khoderkovsky came out of that transfer that had been planned in the mid-1980s (reference: Karen Dawisha, RIP). In effect, Putin inherited the challenges posed by the Vory and assorted gangsterism on a scale unknown to the west (and western naivette about that helped waste billions (I think) in capital that would never be recovered. The mafia state was born.
The Capo de capos, the Boss of bosses, has now to look inward and consider the future of the now old Viking state that he has looted. He could retire to Spain, where he has a house, and watch the cocaine traffic moving up from Africa — just look out his window and know the ships and smile — or he could turn around — this would be a good time — and address Russia’s under-development outside of the Agricultural, Defense, and Energy sectors. He could revert to rule-of-law in Ukraine and apologize, at least, for the bombing of so many hospitals –he’s leveled him — in Syria.
Judging from his behavior, he appears to believe his mission has been to revive the glories of the medieval world and the idolatry associated with political absolutism, i.e., unquestionable authority.
I, not alone, believe he should reconsider that mission.
He has produce what he has promised the world: a “New Nobility”.
But he should look around at what now lies at the feet of that circle: atrocity, mayhem, murder, and the self-inflicted wounding of the image and global acceptance of Mother Russia.
A change of course would be more helpful to him than his staying with old habits past their expiry.
Has one party or personality or other to always play the “bag guy”? The Bond villain? The head of the worst of the worst?
Vladimir Putin has children who will one day and in the natural course of living will look back on their father with an accuracy and perception beyond the public’s ken and the best of the world’s intelligence agencies. When he’s gone, whatever he was, they will know in ways beyond knowing.
For a glimpse at what his state has done at his behest: Idlib today. Here is some recent background involving Russian participation — missile strikes (got to about 7:15 on that)– in Assad’s scorched earth pursuits.
Aside: what the Assad Regime did to the Yarmouk Palestinian Camp —
Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad, and much of the world of analysts and journalists know how “Assad v The Terrorists” took off.
Now you do too.
Fathers must wonder right to the end how their children will remember them.
–33–
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