Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Dictators' dilemma

News today is that both Sweden and Finland have applied for NATO membership. This is exactly the opposite of what Putin wanted when he attacked Ukraine.

He also expected to see his tanks roll into Kyiv and take that city within a few days of the February 24. That did not happen. So what went wrong?

How could an astute dictator who has survived 20 years in office blunder in his decision making to the point of seeing his troops driven back by a “ragtag” Ukrainian army?

No doubt a mystery to Putin, but not to the rest of us, and History. Another guy in a similar position to Putin made the same mistake when he launched operation Barbarossa against the then Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

Having surrounded himself with “Yes men” during the early days of WWII, Adolf Hitler launched an all out offensive against the communist super power in order to create “lebensraum (living room)” in the east for Germans who were supposed to become the landed gentry in those parts.

The people that gravitate towards a dictator are those that massage his ego with what he wants to hear, and gain power and influence for themselves in the process.

Based on Putin’s misguided decision making, there is every reason to believe that he also fell into this trap, beginning to believe himself to be infallible, like Adolf Hitler did. Somehow connected to a higher power acting as a guide to protect “Mother Russia”.

To me, the big question is this: Is Putin, the former security agent, another stooge of history, like Hitler, the former corporal was? A tool in the hands of other people up to no good?

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