Support for Putin?

[Starlight]

I've been surprised to hear voiced a fair level of support for, or admiration of, Putin recently.by major figures on the US right (Trump, Tucker, Bannon etc).

I'm curious to know how posters here, especially conservative / right-wing / libertarian ones feel about him.

If you support him generally, but oppose his specific decision to invade Ukraine, please explain in a comment about what you like and dislike.

[NorrinRadd]

I believe your premise is flawed. I don't interpret Bad Orange Man's "genius" comments regarding Pootie's actions as "admiration" or "support" any more than I interpret some people's finding Slick Willy's "depends on what the definition of 'is' is" clever as "admiration" or "support" of his behavior. I don't believe Tucker's monologue on the idea that failure to "hate" Pootie does not mean one is not patriotic, and that if we're going to "hate" anyone, it should be those directly harming Americans constitutes "admiration" or "support" for Pootie.

I don't have easy access to Bannon's programming, so while I'm skeptical he evinced "support" or "admiration" for Pootie, I don't have enough exposure to him to know what things you are likely misinterpreting.

[rogue06]

I believe your premise is flawed. I don't interpret Bad Orange Man's "genius" comments regarding Pootie's actions as "admiration" or "support" any more than I interpret some people's finding Slick Willy's "depends on what the definition of 'is' is" clever as "admiration" or "support" of his behavior. I don't believe Tucker's monologue on the idea that failure to "hate" Pootie does not mean one is not patriotic, and that if we're going to "hate" anyone, it should be those directly harming Americans constitutes "admiration" or "support" for Pootie.

I don't have easy access to Bannon's programming, so while I'm skeptical he evinced "support" or "admiration" for Pootie, I don't have enough exposure to him to know what things you are likely misinterpreting.

I think it was Patton who got in trouble for expressing admiration of Rommel. It wasn't as if Patton liked Rommel, or approved of him, but rather recognized that he was facing a skilled opponent.

[CivilDiscourse]

[Bill the Cat]

Like the Rogueish one said, admitting someone is a tactical genius is not supporting them. Putin is playing the world like a fiddle.

[Reepicheep]

I've been surprised to hear voiced a fair level of support for, or admiration of, Putin recently.by major figures on the US right (Trump, Tucker, Bannon etc).

I wonder if most Trump supporters would use words like "brilliant", "smart", and "savvy" to describe Stalin murdering 5 million Ukrainians in the 1930s, or the efficient way Hitler murdered 6 million Jews in WW2.

[Ronson]

I neither think Putin is a genius nor do I support him. I try to understand him, which is more than the MSM analysts appear to do. They absolutely cannot put themselves in Putin's shoes and view Ukraine from his perspective.

I still believe when all the dust settles, Putin will end up with east Ukraine under Russian control. A path leading to Crimea.

[rogue06]

I neither think Putin is a genius nor do I support him. I try to understand him, which is more than the MSM analysts appear to do. They absolutely cannot put themselves in Putin's shoes and view Ukraine from his perspective.

I still believe when all the dust settles, Putin will end up with east Ukraine under Russian control. A path leading to Crimea.

Their siege of Kyiv seems to suggest they are interested in far more than just the eastern section and securing a route to the Crimea.

[Ronson]

Their siege of Kyiv seems to suggest they are interested in far more than just the eastern section and securing a route to the Crimea.

Well, admittedly, it appears he wants to install a puppet government. If so, I didn't anticipate that.

However, it's possible Putin is capturing more than he wants so he will have barter chips later. i.e. "Here, I'll give you Kyiv and all this western area. Good deal! All I want is this sliver in the east as a buffer."

[Mountain Man]

I wonder if most Trump supporters would use words like "brilliant", "smart", and "savvy" to describe Stalin murdering 5 million Ukrainians in the 1930s, or the efficient way Hitler murdered 6 million Jews in WW2.

Putin is not Stalin or Hitler, at least not yet.

But from the perspective of a military strategIst, he did play this brilliantly. He had the world lulled into a false sense of security and even had Zelinsky joking about it before the Russian army launched its attack.

Stating this fact does not in any way imply support for Putin or approval of his actions.

What's more interesting, however, is how liberals are focusing on President Trump's innocuous remarks but don't have a word of criticism for the current White House occupant who made as big a mess of things as he did in Afghanistan and even admitted that he knew that talking big about sanctions would not deter Putin in the slightest, meaning Joe knowingly did nothing to stop what's happening now.

[Reepicheep]

Putin is not Stalin or Hitler, at least not yet.

But from the perspective of a military strategIst, he did play this brilliantly. He had the world lulled into a false sense of security and even had Zelinsky joking about it before the Russian army launched its attack.

Stating this fact does not in any way imply support for Putin or approval of his actions.

What's more interesting, however, is how liberals are focusing on President Trump's innocuous remarks but don't have a word of criticism for the current White House occupant who made as big a mess of things as he did in Afghanistan and even admitted that he knew that talking big about sanctions would not deter Putin in the slightest, meaning Joe knowingly did nothing to stop what's happening now.

You didn't answer my question, which was:

would you use words like "brilliant", "smart", and "savvy" to describe the actions of Stalin and Hitler, especially in the way these two dictators efficiently slaughtered millions of innocent civilians?

[rogue06]

Putin is not Stalin or Hitler, at least not yet.

But from the perspective of a military strategIst, he did play this brilliantly. He had the world lulled into a false sense of security and even had Zelinsky joking about it before the Russian army launched its attack.

Stating this fact does not in any way imply support for Putin or approval of his actions.

What's more interesting, however, is how liberals are focusing on President Trump's innocuous remarks but don't have a word of criticism for the current White House occupant who made as big a mess of things as he did in Afghanistan and even admitted that he knew that talking big about sanctions would not deter Putin in the slightest, meaning Joe knowingly did nothing to stop what's happening now.

Don't forget to include that old Joe gave his seal of approval on the invasion when the moron mumbled that a "minor incursion" is acceptable.

I mean, who ties this man's shoes each morning?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Well, admittedly, it appears he wants to install a puppet government. If so, I didn't anticipate that.

However, it's possible Putin is capturing more than he wants so he will have barter chips later. i.e. "Here, I'll give you Kyiv and all this western area. Good deal! All I want is this sliver in the east as a buffer."

If Putin manages to take [and hold] Ukraine and install a puppet regime he will be on the borders of several NATO countries. Will that suffice? He will be "eye-ball to eye-ball" as it were.

Unless of course, as with North and South Korea, a demilitarized zone running from Poland was to be established.

[Mountain Man]

You didn't answer my question, which was:

would you use words like "brilliant", "smart", and "savvy" to describe the actions of Stalin and Hitler, especially in the way these two dictators efficiently slaughtered millions of innocent civilians?

I did answer your question. I just didn't answer it the way you wanted. Get over it.

[rogue06]

I did answer your question. I just didn't answer it the way you wanted. Get over it.

Further, a thoroughly despicable and evil person can still be smart and savvy. I get 157 million hits when I google "evil genius" so the concept is hardly strange or new.