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Is Putin Statesman of the Year?

I couldn't care less what Buchanan thinks.

That said, while I am no fan of Putin, the man is one savvy politician and leader. In this chess game we call international politics, Putin definitely seems to be playing at the grandmaster level. Obama was at best playing at the "experienced novice" level. And Trump thinks we are playing checkers.

;)
 
Skeptic Bob said:
I couldn't care less what Buchanan thinks.

That said, while I am no fan of Putin, the man is one savvy politician and leader. In this chess game we call international politics, Putin definitely seems to be playing at the grandmaster level. Obama was at best playing at the "experienced novice" level. And Trump thinks we are playing checkers.

;)
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Obama f*cked up getting involved in Syria.
 
he's a contender for Time's Person of the Year 2017, i'd guess.
 
Van Basten said:
Obama f*cked up getting involved in Syria.
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He was just doing what he was told to do.

After some initial reluctance, Trump has been brought to heel and is doing the same thing.

How Putin handles the new Trump activities there will ultimately define his statesmanship. He's been trying to find a peaceful solution during the last year, but the Turks and the US keep screwing things up.
 
Grand Mal said:
Why stop there? Call the Nobel committee!
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They are more interested in people like Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama--professional killers.
 
Thoreau72 said:
Is Putin the 'Preeminent Statesman' of Our Times?

What say thee? Pat Buchanan does have a certain vision that others don't.
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Taken in pure context, it's hard to argue otherwise. Certainly this is what President Trump was suggesting when he made his comments about Putin.

Of course, with objectivity in short supply on the left, it's required to view his comments otherwise.
 
Thoreau72 said:
They are more interested in people like Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama--professional killers.
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And you think Putin isn't?

The man is KGB. Now, it may have changed its name, but that sort of training never goes away.

Putin has had more than a few dissidents and pesky journalists whacked---to the point where being an investigative journalist in today's Russia is treated as a slow moving death sentence.

The only people who think Putin isn't a killer are "useful idiots".
 
ocean515 said:
Taken in pure context, it's hard to argue otherwise. Certainly this is what President Trump was suggesting when he made his comments about Putin.

Of course, with objectivity in short supply on the left, it's required to view his comments otherwise.
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I understand but do not buy into the left-right paradigm. I did not intend to present a left-right issue with this, only to explore whether or not, by his actions, Putin is the strongest statesman on the world stage during these last 15 years or so. I think he is, and Buchanan makes a fair case for it.
 
I have to agree with Buchanan on this one.
 
Thoreau72 said:
I understand but do not buy into the left-right paradigm. I did not intend to present a left-right issue with this, only to explore whether or not, by his actions, Putin is the strongest statesman on the world stage during these last 15 years or so. I think he is, and Buchanan makes a fair case for it.
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Forgive me if I made it seem I thought you were making a political statement. Not intended. I only mentioned President Trump because his comments reflected the same objective impression.

As I wrote, in a purely objective analysis, a very strong case can be made that Putin has been a very strong leader and statesman for Russia. I don't have to like or agree with any of his actions, but objectively and rationally, he has done a remarkable job under the circumstances.
 
Scanning this thread, it seems the right whinge's 'Putin-envy' wasn't just a reaction to Obama. Somehow it became acceptable to express admiration for a despotic thug if he's conservative enough and Putin's regime does represent a triumph of conservatism.
 
Grand Mal said:
Scanning this thread, it seems the right whinge's 'Putin-envy' wasn't just a reaction to Obama. Somehow it became acceptable to express admiration for a despotic thug if he's conservative enough and Putin's regime does represent a triumph of conservatism.
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Look at the people the Left has expressed admiration for, Che, Mao, Marx, Castro, and others.
 
I have an odd sort of respect for Putin, but I do not like him.

PS: Article is abhorrently right-wing biased.
 
Tigerace117 said:
And you think Putin isn't?

The man is KGB. Now, it may have changed its name, but that sort of training never goes away.

Putin has had more than a few dissidents and pesky journalists whacked---to the point where being an investigative journalist in today's Russia is treated as a slow moving death sentence.

The only people who think Putin isn't a killer are "useful idiots".
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The first president Bush was CIA.
 
coldjoint said:
The first president Bush was CIA.
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And your logic here being?

That CIA and KGB are (were) of equal quality?

Did you want to make some sort of point or just post something for the sake of posting?
 
coldjoint said:
Look at the people the Left has expressed admiration for, Che, Mao, Marx, Castro, and others.
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.............for this, also see post #21.

IOW what do 4 very dead figures of the past have to do with the thread topic?

Would you like to give your take on the question asked in the thread title, or what?
 
Skeptic Bob said:
I couldn't care less what Buchanan thinks.

That said, while I am no fan of Putin, the man is one savvy politician and leader. In this chess game we call international politics, Putin definitely seems to be playing at the grandmaster level. Obama was at best playing at the "experienced novice" level. And Trump thinks we are playing checkers.

;)
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It helps your leadership ability immensely when you can murder your political opponents, tiresome journalists, and people who may know 'stuff' about you. He's exceptionally good at that.
 
Tigerace117 said:
And you think Putin isn't?

The man is KGB. Now, it may have changed its name, but that sort of training never goes away.

Putin has had more than a few dissidents and pesky journalists whacked---to the point where being an investigative journalist in today's Russia is treated as a slow moving death sentence.

The only people who think Putin isn't a killer are "useful idiots".
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Oh, I think they're far more than that. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that they're operating out of some big warehouse in Moscow with lots of computers.
 
Where Putin being statesman of the year in the international theatre can well be argued (to and fro), Russians overall would probably consider any doubts silly.

Where the article cited is concerned, it falls prey to the (admittedly easy) temptation of qualifying by comparing incomparables. That's not its only weakness but IMO its main one.
 
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