"The Guardian" Book Review Of New Putin Bio Misses The Boat
The Guardian Review Of New Putin Bio Misses The Boat--
This is a useful article by writer Angus MacQueen in "The Guardian", reviewing a new book written as a biography of Vladimir Putin by author Phillip Short, which has lots of new background and anecdotes which add to the picture we already have.
However, what is sorely lacking in the review (Though it might be covered by the book which I've not yet read) is some attention to Putin's revanchism toward the west having been incubated and driven by the "shock therapy" economic reforms, also known as the "Sachs Plan" imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse. (Named after economist Jeffrey Sachs) I've covered this extensively on my Blog, "The Rosen Report" which is linked to my FB profile. (Links below)
The degree to which Russia's labor force, raw materials, brain power, living standard and cultural heritage was looted by western companies and cartels under this policy is hardly discussed today. Likewise the takeover of Russia's economic life by mafiya gangsters who were enabled by these western reforms.
The Russian population collapsed by 5 million people in a period of six years from 1991 on. This was caused by an explosion of the death rate, infant mortality, economic deprivation, crime, mass emigration, and untreated illness. Say what you will about the failed Comecon economies and system, but once their "cradle to the grave" protections and social safety net was dismantled, it was a free-fall.
If this period is not heavily emphasized in author Short's new Biography, it is worse than an oversight, and remains a huge blind spot in US strategic thinking to this day.
Americans are prejudiced to believe that western democratic values and economic neo-liberalism were an adequate replacement for the top heavy Soviet command economy, with it's absurd "five year plans" and bureaucratic inefficiency. However, when you look at both the transition and the result, it was a failure, and the leading cause of the strategic humiliation which has provoked Putin's Russian nationalist abreaction which we see asserting it's arbitrary Imperial power today. But, that is the stuff of a future article.
The bottom line is that Putin has, as have many dictators in history, seized upon legitimate grievance to fashion a cult of obedience and loyalty around himself, as the man who will take revenge upon the oppressor, right the injustice, retake those things taken from them, and restore them to previous greatness. To "Make Russia Great Again." Or Germany. Or America. Or France. The path to dictatorship is paved by those victors in wars for whom taking their spoils came first, without regard to the people of that nation who were defeated.
Aside from the fact of institutional racism, is there anything else in 20th Century history which is as devastatingly clear as that fact?
https://therosenreport.blogspot.com/2021/01/usbiden-team-must-renounce-clinton-era.html?m=1
https://therosenreport.blogspot.com/2019/11/czar-vladimir-terrible.html?m=1
