Do you know if there’s any truth to the rumor that Bill Clinton offered Putin NATO membership for Russia? If true that would seem to undermine some of your contextualizing hypotheses. “We respect you Vlad, we want you in the club, come on join us.”
In regard to where Putin lays on the mentally ill spectrum, IMHO, what’s more important is …
Do you know if there’s any truth to the rumor that Bill Clinton offered Putin NATO membership for Russia? If true that would seem to undermine some of your contextualizing hypotheses. “We respect you Vlad, we want you in the club, come on join us.”
In regard to where Putin lays on the mentally ill spectrum, IMHO, what’s more important is where he is on the character disorder spectrum. I’d say he’s definitely elevated himself to the status of a man-of-history by joining the ranks of famous men who have ruthlessly and needlessly gone to war to improve their status. He’s got more status now than he ever has—status as someone who is willing to murder children in order to earn our respect.
If one accepts your suggestion that the west has driven Putin “crazy,” the question becomes, now what do we do with this aggrieved resentment filled psychopathic monster we’ve created? We’re already showing very deep disrespect towards him and his nation. It doesn’t appear that that’s going to improve anytime soon.
Historically when some humans decide that other humans are less-than-human, bad things happen. “Those humans aren’t treating me like I’m a worthy human I’ll show them how human I am and be the worst kind of human possible.”
There is kind of a rationality to that way of thinking but it’s obviously flawed—it’s immature egoic self centered thinking. Historically these sort of high chair tyrants, who have tremendous power, have done us great harm. When have mad dogs responded to diplomacy?
Perhaps Biden should make Trump a special envoy to Russia. Trump could become our dog whisperer and calm that boy down.
The US and Europe have been economically and politically holding out on Russia for a long time and for various reasons (cultural/social prejudice and the impression of a "menacing Russia" was needed to justify military spending and keep weapons makers in business).
Do you know if there’s any truth to the rumor that Bill Clinton offered Putin NATO membership for Russia? If true that would seem to undermine some of your contextualizing hypotheses. “We respect you Vlad, we want you in the club, come on join us.”
In regard to where Putin lays on the mentally ill spectrum, IMHO, what’s more important is where he is on the character disorder spectrum. I’d say he’s definitely elevated himself to the status of a man-of-history by joining the ranks of famous men who have ruthlessly and needlessly gone to war to improve their status. He’s got more status now than he ever has—status as someone who is willing to murder children in order to earn our respect.
If one accepts your suggestion that the west has driven Putin “crazy,” the question becomes, now what do we do with this aggrieved resentment filled psychopathic monster we’ve created? We’re already showing very deep disrespect towards him and his nation. It doesn’t appear that that’s going to improve anytime soon.
Historically when some humans decide that other humans are less-than-human, bad things happen. “Those humans aren’t treating me like I’m a worthy human I’ll show them how human I am and be the worst kind of human possible.”
There is kind of a rationality to that way of thinking but it’s obviously flawed—it’s immature egoic self centered thinking. Historically these sort of high chair tyrants, who have tremendous power, have done us great harm. When have mad dogs responded to diplomacy?
Perhaps Biden should make Trump a special envoy to Russia. Trump could become our dog whisperer and calm that boy down.
LOL
Putin said in that hour-long speech that it was him who suggested to Clinton that Russia could join NATO, and that Clinton wasn't enthusiastic.
Good question. In Googling around I found this article "Putin Says He Discussed Russia's Possible NATO Membership with Bill Clinton" see here: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-says-discussed-joining-nato-with-clinton/28526757.html According to this article Putin made this disclosure in the interviews with Oliver Stone. One can see that interview series on Showtime. I saw them when they first came out but don't recall that detail. This article gives some perspective on the question as well from recently released documents in the Clinton library: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/new-sources-nato-enlargement-clinton-presidential-library
I've seen it said by a few different commentators (long before his recent speech) that Putin suggested Russia join NATO (circa 1999) and was rebuffed.
Apparently Boris Yeltsin already suggested in 1991 that Russia join NATO (https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/21/world/soviet-disarray-yeltsin-says-russia-seeks-to-join-nato.html).
The US and Europe have been economically and politically holding out on Russia for a long time and for various reasons (cultural/social prejudice and the impression of a "menacing Russia" was needed to justify military spending and keep weapons makers in business).
Love it, Bill. Yeah, if only …? And but so we (humans) do what we have always done. And get what we always got- war.