Fiona Hill, Putin’s Apology; Analysis Part 2

Before proceding further, it’s essential to create “Putin’s Apology.” Here “apology” refers not to Webster’s “1.a : an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret”, but “2.a :  something that is said or written to defend something that other people criticize :…” Plato’s The Apology of Socrates is the great example. … Continue reading Fiona Hill, Putin’s Apology; Analysis Part 2

Fiona Hill, Putin’s Apology; Analysis Part 4; KGB Culture

Let’s pick up from Fiona Hill, Putin’s Apology; Analysis Part 3 with an examination of KGB culture, which changed over the lifespan of the Soviet state. Nikita Khrushchev’s “Thaw”  actually presaged Gorbachev’s Perestroika, weak in the absolute sense, but profound compared to what had come before. When a totalitarian leader experiments with liberalization, one of … Continue reading Fiona Hill, Putin’s Apology; Analysis Part 4; KGB Culture

Russia-Gate; Robert Mueller’s Role Part 2

We continue from Russia-Gate; Robert Mueller’s Role Part 1, with the question, Is Putin’s Russia good/bad for Russians? Is it good/bad for everybody else? For Russia itself,  Neutral: Vladimir Putin resurrected a failed nation-state that had attempted to reconstitute itself along the lines of western democracy. His solution,  part of Putin’s Apology, was to co-opt every … Continue reading Russia-Gate; Robert Mueller’s Role Part 2

20 Years of Vladimir Putin; Russian Gov. Resigns, Part 1

(CNN) Russian government resigns as Putin proposes reforms that could extend his grip on power. Inspired by Russia’s adversarial attitude towards the West, media coverage is almost uniformly negative. What else could be expected towards a government that has been described as a kleptocracy, with such noteworthy achievements as lending a helping hand to Assad’s … Continue reading 20 Years of Vladimir Putin; Russian Gov. Resigns, Part 1

Trump Putin Meeting; Finding the Great Trade; Conclusion

We discussed SALT I as an example. What are the  current elements of Identity of interest, linkage, and trust? We have to do some creative thinking to find these elements. Recently, with large troop concentrations around Moscow, there has been some speculation that the Russians are more fearful of the threat environment than revealed by … Continue reading Trump Putin Meeting; Finding the Great Trade; Conclusion