On Sat, Sep 24, 2016 at 01:29:33AM -0000, xorc...@sigaint.org wrote: > > What many in the West don't get is that many Russians are a patriotic > > lot, and hardy in their nationalism, and with the history of the world > > since perestroika, they carry now a not insignificant disdain for "the > > West". > > > > Meh. Early in Putin's reign, when eastern bloc countries were all joining > NATO, there was a widely done poll amongst Russians in their attitude > towards the West. I forget the exact numbers, but it was generally > favorable overall, with support for Russia joining the EU "some day." The > results went up dramatically when focusing on younger generations. > > Years later, it's a whole different story. For that matter, Americans had > generally favorable view of Russia back then, too. Relentless state > propaganda is quite effective. > > And I don't fault Putin for the propaganda, nor his distrust of the West. > I'd distrust an alliance that is putting rockets withing striking distance > of my capital as well. Largely, I think he's a very smart man, and a good > statesman. > > But Putin isn't the good guy. There are no fucking good guys and bad guys. > There are just guys, playing chess. White moves first, then black. Rooks. > Queens. Castling. Good and bad, right and wrong, don't enter the equation. > > Whose the good guy, and whose the bad guy is the wrong question. > > The appropriate question is: are these players actually trying to win > against each other, or is it an exhibition match for show, to keep people > glued to the board while each side sells merchandising, and makes movies > about who is, or is not, the good guy.
First you raised a straw man "Putin good man/ bad man", then you raise a dichotomy "the wrong question vs the right question". There are actions in the world. Some exhibit what I name as evil intentions. Others actions exhibit good intentions. Others still exhibit blind faith in the empire, self interest and all manner of other things. Soros' emails show he wanted to break up Russia (not just the USSR) to ultimately create a one world hegemon. Putin decided Russia was a nation of 170 million people who deserve better than Soros "break up Russia" intention, and set about doing many good actions in support of that nationalistic position. "The West" has time and again demonstrated utter contempt for anything actually worth regarding. Russians have seen this, and of course the Russian media does its level best to draw this out, and boost their ratings from such madness as is so regularly displayed in the West and by Westerners, and as a result of seeing this, Russians now have a, rather low, regard for "the West". This is a healthy development :)
