Thanks for posting this, blarman.
Very interesting analysis.
If I had to choose between Hitlery or Putin, I'd choose Putin.

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear members of the Gulch,

I am quite surprised, not so much by the errors of Christopher Caldwell in his Imprimis piece on Putin, but more so by the general agreement with him by this distinguished audience. First, let me put Mr. Caldwell into a proper perspective. Harvard educated, writer for several left-wing publications in addition to being a senior editor of the Weekly Standard, Mr. Caldwell appears to be somewhat confused as which camp he wants to belong to. Wanting to be an intellectual and possessing logic, yet unwilling to break away from the Progressive Intellectual establishment, he tries to be on the fence, as evidenced by his other articles where he criticizes Obama, but very carefully, never touching the basis of Obama's socialist evil..

Now, closer to the subject on hand – Putin and Russia. The article has numerous factual errors, which I can list, but that would make my comments rather boring and long-winded. OK, I'll list a few – such as his claim that Russia has recently been frequently humiliated, robbed and misled (as in, by whom? Unless he means by its own ruling class...), or that the country was defenseless back in 2000 (never mind the largest nuclear arsenal in the world backed by a huge army (admittedly weaker than before) and the largest landmass), or that he "disciplined his country's plutocrats" – well, he kind of did – there were multiple mafias and multiple bosses – now there is one Mafia and one Boss. Swallowing Yukos was a symbol of the One Mafia. If one is to be intellectually honest, what should he say about Putin's grab of the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, or a piece of Georgia? Oh, yes, he reined in Chechnya – really? The Islamic State of Chechnya is today an essentially independent region where slavery (real, hardcore Islamic slavery) is alive and well, with Sharia and their own military. No, of course American "intellectuals" do not like to talk about any other slavery but the American slavery. And finally, Mr. Caldwell sounds very sympathetic to Putin's regret of the former "republics" breaking away – never mind that those were brutally conquered countries that were seized, annexed and sometimes almost exterminated by Russia (czarist or communist, either way).

But the interesting issue here is trying to understand American Intellectuals' view of Putin's Russia. On the one hand, they like what they see – a strong State, autocratic rule with the Party as being always right. The Intellectuals' dream come true – whether it is achieved through communism, socialism or "democratic socialism(!!)" - the Party always wins and in order to be at the feeding troth the Intellectual just needs to join the Party. On the other hand, there is the natural tension between similar systems competing for the leadership role. This is the basis of the Communists hating the Nazis and the Nazis hating the Communists. This is the reason the Democrats hate Trump and Trump hates the Democrats. So, we have this article here, by Mr. Caldwell, that is simultaneously full of sympathy and criticism of Putin, while basing the reasoning for both on perverted facts and twisted logic.

Hello,

I read this earlier today (I get the snail mail version) and have to say its pathetic that this needs to be spelled out for people.

First, I do not in any way trust the Russians, former Soviets. Second, I do trust that the Russians, like the Soviets, will always act in their best interests, something I respect. Third, I'm happy to see that there is again someone in the White House finally understand chess.

All external nations are not us, they are the competition and/or enemies. Its high time we started putting our interests ahead of everyone else.

Attempting to understand a foreign culture or a point of view other than the officially approved "Yay, Yay, USA" will undoubtedly put you on some sort of US government list. I salute your effort, it's quite necessary, but the mind reels at how the overwhelming majority of Americans won't even question government propaganda, much less explore other points of view. And then they ask questions like: Why do they hate us so much?

Regards the "Russian hacking," consider this: the intelligence agencies are not the neutral, non-political entities they claim to be. Their secrecy makes their political motives easier to hide. As one who spent some time dealing with the DIA, CIA, and NSA, I can inform the Gulch that Machiavellian games are constantly in play within the agencies. and are used to influence, exploit, and sabotage other agencies, the White House, and Congress.

The CIA, as one example, has a program called UMBRAGE, which enables them to leave an encrypted digital trail they can tie to any source. It has been used in international dealings to make it appear that Russia and China have attempted to interfere in financial markets. The question is whether or not the agency decided to use that tool against the incoming Trump administration by making it look like he gained his office via an unsavory connection to Putin.

Putin does for his country what his country wants of him. I don't much like the man but I do respect him in many instances, certainly not all. I can think of many other leaders and many right here in our own political environment who are a great deal more ruthless and way less trustworthy. As a country we need not like or trust another countries leaders in order to get along with them in numerous dealings. For some strange reason we are able to get along with the Saudis however if it were not for oil they would be an equally distrusted enemy. Those who are without sin are welcome to cast the first stones but keep the stones away from US!

As I thought. Vladimir Putin is a quintessential Russian but is not a Communist. He did more than save his own country. He's the absolutely essential counterweight to the same intellectual oligarchs who threaten our freedom, just as they threatened his country's sovereignty.

The author forgot to take into consideration who the Russians are ethnically, spiritually and historically. Putin demonstrates himself as a true Slav. He wants to unite all the the Slavic states into one super-state. He not only supports the Orthodox Church but also Pagan music bands and Pagan Spiritual groups tied to ancient Slavic Mythology. It's not only Russian sovereignty plus the Slavic Mythos that drives Putin.

From my point of view knowing where I live the best way to think of Putin is with a nine milimeter hole in his head.

pukeon is a maniacal midget who is conducting the best hybrid war in the world... using Ukraine as his testing grounds ..

Is it 11 or 12 people he has assassinated in the last several years?

There is not a single positive thing anyone should ever say about this thug with a napoleon complex. If odummy had the guts to stand up to him (as we had promised the Ukrainians when they gave up their nukes), the midget would have ran away and cried like all muscovite bullies do.

10,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine and in the takeover of Crimea. Oil fields in eastern Ukraine and off shore wells in Crimea (and of course the bases). And the world stood by and let it happen and believed the Pravda bs.

why did Ayn Rand leave Russia?

I see this post about Putin highly relative to Herbs post about the unibomber...smart, self interested in the health of one's country and countrymen but no respect for the property of others, not to mention, no Conscience connection to a subconscious nor a mind.
His guiding adviser, Alexander Dugan, is not much different than trumpets "Bannon"; both, ideologues to beat all ideologues with no conscience and a penitence for fascistic goals.
I don't see these fascistic goals a tenant of Trumps desires for the country or countrymen but by the same time he needs to be a tough leader against an unruly cast of characters in our kakistocracy.

It's a very fine line to walk without tripping over one's good intentions.

I'd become Robbie the Robot from "Forbidden Planet." He was asked to destroy the thing he was programmed never to harm that was harming itself. He burnt his poor AI out. Let's hope such a scenario never happens to us soft computers.

some of you might recall what Ayn Rand said of the Russians and that today pertains to putin as well. They are a paper tiger and not to be feared, all you will hear from putting are potential threats or simple bombast. Russia has I believe more natural resource in its land mass than any other country on earth. IF the people were free to exploit these resources they would become an economic power house. But that is not to be because putin is an idiot, hence what I think of him!

read the same article...Putin is a dictator, period...he just came out on top in a battle of dictators...

Thanks Blair,
I read my copy with interest Sunday . I am no fan of Putin's govt. but he is a formidable foe. During the peace dividend days the Bill Clinton Admin. The US did next to nothing to assist the Russian people or the satellites to transfer to the capitalistic system .Top powerful communist became oligarchies gaming the system. How big a surprise is it when after being looted and screwed over that the people want change.

In the year 2000 Solzhenitsyn wrote: “As a result of the Yeltsin era, all the fundamental sectors of our political, economic, cultural, and moral life have been destroyed or looted. Will we continue looting and destroying Russia until nothing is left?” That was the year Putin came to power. He was the answer to Solzhenitsyn’s question.

British people went Brexit . US went Trump.

To think like Putin mix Orthodox mysticism with communist ideology pragmatism and totalitarian experience with visions of lost glory (false) and you can think like Putin. Castro is just switch catholic for Orthodox but keep communist orthordoxy. Putin has never experienced anything but totalitarian power to take and destroy over individuals . The Russian people are unaware of the idea of individual sovereignty and cowed into submission. Nuts to Hillsdale's whitewash.

'The evidence that he murders his opposition is circumstantial but merits scrutiny.'
Nothing to see here. Moving on.

Are we all just sheep to be led down any well-spoken road.
Would it change your minds if we could prove he ordered those people dead?
Or would you just come up with an American parallel and say that's the way power moves.
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Remember being outraged when Obama was caught live-mic telling Putin he could be more flexible after the 2012 election.
Do we owe him an apology now? Perhaps some accolade for being ahead of the curve?

But you'd choose Putin over Hilary.

Me, I'd still vote for a lying thief over a murderous thug.
But that's just me.