While people like Rubio and Couch Lover have to “tune in” to Taco Don’s stupidity, I think Pete there was already on that wave due to being an idiot, and alcoholism probably doesn’t help, so my assumption is that he was actually quite in sync.
Considering how shipments were stopped last times, with one most idiotic - “we stopped shipment because what if they negotiate ceasefire now” - that’s absolutely what “master of the deal” would say.
He could’ve tried to revive the country, and he got an easy start in the 00s, but he chosed to gamble it instead.
That’s not why people become dictators. Not to mention that in autocratic environments heads of states don’t really feel the consequences of their actions, and don’t really mind throwing millions of their own people under the bus to bring some ephemeral former glory back.
Some folks became billionaires in Russia simply because they were friends of Putin though.
These may truly be protected class. Everyone else though - out the window as soon as they outlive their usefulness.
Interesting how he wasn’t just transferred to some “window looker” job (pun not intended).
Ministers in Russia are appointed basically by czar himself and firing such folks for their failures would mean admitting that czar made wrong decision when appointing them.
There’s, of course, ol’ classic “czar good, boyars bad”, but still kinda surprising for me.
Art of the deal, folks.
Taco Don already functionally stopped all aid and arms supply to Ukraine and trying his hardest to ignore Ukraine, and will probably chicken out from helping Taiwan defend itself too in case latter gets invaded.
So that’s just China being asshole too and wanting Russia to succeed, because that’d mean you can take a dump on international laws and have benefits that outweigh repercussions.
If whatever remains of free democratic world won’t get its shit together soon - we will just get picked apart eventually by those last iteration imperialists.
That’s repeating theme in Russian history though.
Back in 18th and 19th centuries French was spoken by Russian elites and wannabe aristocrates more than Russian.
(PDF) The History of the French Language in Russia
In later USSR period Russians wanted everything American and dreamed to become Americans. As Western media started creeping in, fashion started creeping in, obtaining some Levi’s pair of jeans meant you’re the coolest guy around, would also mean you could have problems with police. But Western way of life with how it was portrayed, seemed superior in every way to what people had in decaying Soviet Union. Democracy with those charismatic leaders also seemed like a dream compared to Soviet increasingly geriatric leadership (oh the irony).
Soviet Denim Smuggling - The History of Jens Behind the Iron Curtain
As someone had put it: