Mention the name Putin to anyone of senior (or even junior) rank within the western world, or more accurately the collective west including the Baltic nations, Australia and New Zealand and you are likely to see a face distorted into a mask of anger with writhing lips of utter disdain a major feature. What comes out of the mouth of such a creature then will likely be a torrent of abuse calling the subject of your query any number of dreadful terms amounting to an identification with the worst human demons of living history.
Make the same query of almost anyone outside of this sphere of hatred encountered in the West and the reaction is most likely to be the polar opposite of the above. A little smile is likely to play on those quite relaxed lips. A look in the eye of delight that the subject mentioned graces his or her day. The words then spoken will talk of great admiration, respect and delight that such a man exists in his or her time.
What to make of these two wholly different reactions?
Putin divides the world into two distinct camps as regards the leadership of nations within the western orbit and those belonging to the global majority. On one side he deserves hauling to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. On the other there is only a wish that the leadership of their countries could only emulate the great man.
Jail or gratefully-given awards of the highest merit? Despised and loathed as a reincarnated Hitler? Or worthy of the highest degree of respect possible to any human at any time? Each one of us will have their own view. If you live within the catchment of the West then you will have been exposed to almost non-stop criticism of Putin. You will have heard him called a murderer, a terrorist, a thief, a dictator and all round rogue of the worst possible kind, a thoroughly bad character who is a danger to the entire world. Hearing all this may have had its effect on you. Then again it may not.
On the other hand, those who judge Putin not by hearsay or headlines but by close observation of the man and who take some time to listen to what he says and investigate the genesis of the problem areas he is often criticised for, those people more often than not are impressed and can no longer be touched by the wall-to-wall lambasting of the man within the western world.
Women tend to find him very attractive, men admire his manliness and calm demeanour under pressure, his ability to answer questions in depth and his qualities as a strategist. Of course I should hastily add that women will also be inclined to admire the qualities just mentioned also. As far as other world leaders are concerned, why not check out Putin’s relationship with Modi of India or Xi of China and a bevy of others. Check out the smiles, the handshakes, the hugs, the embraces and the friendly smiles. There can be no doubt that Putin is greatly admired and respected… just not inside the western orbit. Why might this be so?
The western powers find themselves in long term decline. Their powers are waning. The ability to dominate the world and dictate to it is fast ceasing to be. Their grip on power is now seen as a highly unwelcome anachronism that has aggrandised them at the expense of others. Their threats and regular violence are now seen as barriers to peace and freedom rather than agents to bring such virtues about in the world. Rather than being dominated, regulated, manipulated and sometimes regime changed nations now see the opportunity to join in beneficial harmony and stability with others no matter what their systems of governance may be. The USA, UK and their proxies bring only discord and war to bring everyone in line with what they deem appropriate. Nations wish to have the freedom now to decide such things for themselves.
Putin has provided the support and inspiration for this to happen, for the world to come together at last in that long held dream of community, able to trade, make cultural exchanges and evolve greater understandings outside of the restricting and destructive demands of the USA and others that they conform to some standard and value system set by them. Putin is creating the foundation, the stepping stones to a new world where war can finally be banished because we are no longer attempting to mould all nations to one set image.
This is why Putin is SO admired within the nations that constitute the global majority and so hated by a western political elite that is steadily losing the power to terrify others into obeying them. That’s about it. That, in short is why we see these two quite distinct views on the man. Thankfully love is defeating hatred day by day now and through a great many diverse means.
This is ultimately what it is all about regarding our most esteemed president, Vladimir Putin, the greatest statesman of our age.
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