Not to minimize the deaths, the suffering, the destruction Putin has caused and threatens to cause even more of out of frustration and hubris, but this image is too on point not to share.
It turned up on my Facebook feed; will it go viral?
By reports Putin has been obsessed with the humiliations the former Soviet Union has undergone since it collapsed. He is convinced the West has been out to destroy Russia for years and considers himself a true champion of Russia even as he has been looting it and ruling with an iron fist while he tries to Make Russia Great Again.
I don’t really need to hammer on the parallels in America, do I?
Putin’s image as a strong leader has taken a huge self-inflicted blow. It could be a learning experience for some people. For Putin? He’s likely to learn all the wrong lessons. There is no one near him who dares correct him.
It is to laugh, save for the real possibility he might decide to address his humiliation with some nuclear Viagra. Digby has the details.
There was a buzz-word that was very popular during the Cold War, when the strategy for dealing with nuclear weapons was to make the prospect of using them too horrific for any sane person. It was called brinkmanship — the ability to approach the brink without going over. The 64,000 dollar question is how sane is Vladimir right now? Where IS the brink?
We can laugh — quietly — at Putin, but we should not forget we had an even bigger fool sitting in the White House for four years with the launch codes at his disposal. We should also not forget the conspiracy of greedy fools who want to put him back there.
But enjoy this bit of schadenfreude while you can, and thank whatever faith floats your boat that Joe Biden is in the White House at this time in history.