Hey Putin fans! More proof of his "greatness"!

[tapitsbo]

It's interesting that some countries have a friendly relationship with russia on the one hand and the five eyes/usa on the other - almost seeming at times as if the two power blocs are being played against each other.

[JackRiddler]

I don't think Putin has territorial ambitions, on the contrary, that they only occupied overwhelmingly Russian and strategically essential Crimea and have not done so with the Eastern Ukraine (which would be a liability) shows how this works. He's aggressive in facing up to the danger of losing territory to separatists and in responding to expansionism from NATO. No one's a good guy in the imperialist game however. I have little doubt Putin would welcome a grand reconciliation with the West based on spheres of influence and peace deals on Ukraine and Syria.

As for false-flag, however, review how he got to power in the first place during the 9/99 stagings of terror bombings in Moscow. It's practically the classic case, and interestingly not ever cited by all the official anti-Putinists of the West because of what it implies about what is possible generally. This government started as a KGB restoration project and really the only good thing you can say about them is that they may have prevented a Western-backed break-up of their own country. Otherwise repressive and retrograde in every way. They're in the "wouldn't put anything past them" category, but obviously guided by standard realpolitik (as demented as that usually is).

[JackRiddler]

I don't think Putin has territorial ambitions, on the contrary, that they only occupied overwhelmingly Russian and strategically essential Crimea and have not done so with the Eastern Ukraine (which would be a liability) shows how this works. He's aggressive in facing up to the danger of losing territory to separatists and in responding to expansionism from NATO. No one's a good guy in the imperialist game however. I have little doubt Putin would welcome a grand reconciliation with the West based on spheres of influence and peace deals on Ukraine and Syria.

As for false-flag, however, review how he got to power in the first place during the 9/99 stagings of terror bombings in Moscow. It's practically the classic case, and interestingly not ever cited by all the official anti-Putinists of the West because of what it implies about what is possible generally. This government started as a KGB restoration project and really the only good thing you can say about them is that they may have prevented a Western-backed break-up of their own country. Otherwise repressive and retrograde in every way. They're in the "wouldn't put anything past them" category, but obviously guided by standard realpolitik (as demented as that usually is).

Against false binaries, people!

[Iamwhomiam]

An excellent summarization, Jack.