On Russia, Trump and Putin
James Burke writes: Re. “Razer: ‘progressive’ journos gunning for Trump are a danger to peace” (Thursday)
I’m glad Helen Razer’s reading Masha Gessen. She might provide a little more insight into Putin’s Russia than Oliver Stone movies. But Razer is still oddly defensive about dear old Vlad, to the point that her column on recent US-Russian relations was missing the words “Georgia”, “Ukraine” and “Crimea”.
Putin’s not Hitler. But he did invade a neighbouring country and annex its territory, which hasn’t been done a lot since the ‘40s. “Lefties for Putin” have laboured to justify this, as with John Pilger asserting that the Ukrainians are basically Nazis, so the Russians are anti-fascist heroes. That argument’s somewhat undermined by Putin’s support for European neo-fascists. Cry “fake news” all you like, but Putin’s 2017 love-in with Marine Le Pen was well-documented, lovingly photographed and heavily promoted.
Well of course Putin, and Russia would love neo-fascists, why wouldn’t they? I mean apart from twenty million Russians dying fighting them in WW2, when the Russians essentially won the war. And what’s the matter with that silly Putin? Why should he care about his country being ringed with Nato forces, and a US installed Government in the Ukraine, (traditionally a part of Russia)? No wonder we are resurrecting the cold war 2 when the west has no idea of European history.
May I offer the following current books by Australian authors … which I read with interest last year : ” Return to Moscow ” by Tony Kevin ( retired Aus. diplomat ).
” Balcony over Jerusalem ” by John Lyons (with Sylvie Le Clezio) … whilst not relevant to the On Russia, Trump and Putin article, was a revealing experience.
Putin did annex Crimea against the will of its indigenous Tatar people but warmly welcomed by its ethnic Russian majority. Those who object to this generally have little to say about the annexation by a US ally of Syrian and Palestinian territory.
Once you start sticking up for a dictator, you are one, if every leader is a dictator, then the less destructive may be a pick, any human in power is an asshole, whether it be an abusive husband/wife or putan/trump their not of sane minds and fuck em they don’t deserve Capitals to their names.