Putin unwittingly shows the only reason Russia retains any relevance on the world stage….
Having to resort to military force to win friends and influence neighbors makes Russia look more like a pathetic regional bully (akin to North Korea with more nukes) than a respected global power in league with the likes of China and the United States… The reputation Putin has manufactured as a strong leader is belied by the fact that, but for the Soviet-era nukes he commands, he’d be no stronger than the tin-pot dictators who lorded over kleptocracies throughout post-colonial Africa.
(“Berlin Wall 2014: Mr. Gorbachev, Take Back that Speech!” The iPINIONS Journal, November 10, 2014)
Far from instilling fear in its enemies, real and pretend, these military parades began evoking little more than Monty-Pythonesque laughter long ago….
Indeed, I wonder at what point it finally dawned on Putin that his guest of honor was not impressed with his ridiculously phallic display.
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Russia flexing muscles…