Wednesday, 23 February 2022
An older worldview
Sumantra Maitra has an interesting piece about Putin's worldview in The Critic.
Putin and the new global order
An older worldview makes a triumphant return, and splits the American right.
JD Vance, Ohio’s senatorial candidate, and one of the most interesting new voices in the debate about American grand strategy and Ukraine threw a bomb yesterday online in an interview, where he said that he doesn’t care about Ukraine “one way or the other”, and that it is ridiculous that America is focused on Ukraine’s border and sovereignty, and not America’s own borders with Mexico.
This applies to the UK too. It is well worth reading the whole piece.
The most common reaction to Putin’s speeches on social media was a throwback to calling him a Soviet apologist trying to recreate the former USSR. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Only clinical midwits think Putin is a Sovok. Putin despises the USSR and communists. He is as imperial as they come and the only thing he could do to make him any more reactionary would be a ceremonial Romanov restoration.
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8 comments:
I'm not sure he is right regarding Putin's orientation towards the old Soviet Union. Alex Boot, who left the Soviet Union to live in the USA and then the UK, blogs frequently about Putin. He considers him to be unreconstructed KGB to the core. All that has really changed is that the Russian state is a kleptocracy rather than a dictatorship of the "proletariat".
It's all a bit academic, though, for the UK. We can do nothing, and Boris is playing it safe by singing in the international chorus of disapproval without making us too conspicuous. We don't want cyber-attacks or any more of that provocation involving novichok nerve-agents. He should rein in Ben Wallace a bit, though. His blimpish mutterings about how we "kicked Russia's backside" in the Crimean War was just embarrassing. A bald fat bloke who only got as far as Captain shouldn't be talking like that to real soldiers.
I can see a path to a great future for us in the West (I mean people like us on this Blogsite). Putin will become our 'hero' and benefactor.
If things go well,the West will invoke financial and industrial sanctions and Putin will cut off his gas and oil supplies to the West in retaliation.
Here in Britain we will then have lots of oil, gas and coal under our feet; and a lot of useless green renewable tech and nowhere else to go.
Sorted!
Considering the Russian 'invasion' is into the seceding portions of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions (Where they were invited by the secessionists), I don't see it as much of a threat to us in the west.
From what I can see, the Russians are more worried about NATO's eastward expansion.
"Considering the Russian 'invasion' is into the seceding portions of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions": I'd like to think that's true but this morning's reports make it seem unlikely.
Here's a pretty good prediction.
https://twitter.com/ThePr0diga1S0n/status/1485729483151880194
Sam - yes, Boris needs to play it quietly and rein in anything else as there is nothing much he can do. Being KGB to the core, I'd expect Putin to despise ideology including communism. I like the writer's angle on this, it is international power politics as it was always played.
Tammly - it certainly highlights how useless that green renewable tech really is and with luck a few more politicians will notice.
Bill - Russia being worried about NATO's eastward expansion is my reading of it. It probably plays well at home too.
dearieme - yes the attacks don't seem to be limited to the Luhansk and Donetsk regions unless we are being misled. That Twitter link is good. The dangers were pointed out, I remember reading the warnings.
"...he doesn’t care about Ukraine “one way or the other”, and that it is ridiculous that America is focused on Ukraine’s border and sovereignty..."
Indeed and very sensible. But if we don't care about Ukraine, do we care about Estonia? If not, so we care about Bulgaria? If not, do we care about Slovakia? Would we care if Germany were re-partitioned?
My point is that people like Putin don't stop until they're stopped.
But don't ask me how we do that, we've left it far too late.
Anon - yes we have left it too late, as with a number of other issues.
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