{"id":2179199,"date":"2024-02-18T05:12:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-18T10:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-theres-no-placating-putin\/"},"modified":"2024-02-18T05:13:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-18T10:13:52","slug":"why-theres-no-placating-putin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-theres-no-placating-putin\/","title":{"rendered":"No Way to Appease Putin"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-theres-no-placating-putin%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2179199&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The House that Putin Built: A Closer Look at Vladimir Putin&#8217;s Russia<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Leon Aron, a senior fellow\u200d at the\u200d American Enterprise Institute, \u200chas written a captivating\u200c and concise book that \u2062takes us on \u200ca journey through Vladimir Putin&#8217;s life.\u2062 From \u200bhis humble\u2063 beginnings\u2063 in hardscrabble Leningrad to his unlikely rise to\u2062 power, Putin&#8217;s\u2063 story is filled with apartment bombings, terror attacks, and the suppression of opposition figures. Aron&#8217;s book, aptly titled &#8220;The House that Putin Built,&#8221; reveals the true \u2062nature of Putin&#8217;s regime and the transformation of Russia under \u2064his rule.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Two\u2063 Competing Explanations<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>If we were to delve\u200b into Putin&#8217;s mind, we would encounter two \u2063contrasting explanations for his actions. Aron presents \u2062one perspective, \u200ddescribing\u200d Putin as a misguided Russian patriot driven by a mission to rectify past wrongs against his beloved country. According to this view, Putin&#8217;s actions, however \u200bmisguided, are motivated \u200bby his love for Mother Russia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>On the other hand, there \u2064is an alternative explanation, one that I personally subscribe to. It portrays Putin and his inner circle as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-dispatch-part-i-everyone-who-arrives-here-has-paid\/\" title=\"Border Dispatch, Part I: \u2018Everyone Who Arrives Here Has Paid\u2019\">vast criminal enterprise<\/a>, exploiting Russia for personal wealth and power.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Testing these competing propositions is challenging because they both lead to similar behavior. They rely on narratives of Russia&#8217;s past and \u2063present, depicting a besieged fortress surrounded by enemies, both internal\u200b and external. In this \u2063narrative, a resolute leader must defend the fortress, \u200beven if it means\u200d resorting to harsh measures, following in the footsteps of leaders like\u200c Ivan the Terrible \u200cand Stalin.<\/p>\n<p>It was during \u2063Putin&#8217;s speech at the 2007 Munich Security Conference \u200bthat his inner thinking was revealed, shocking those present and prompting Angela \u200cMerkel to question if he had entered &#8220;an alternate reality.&#8221; Subsequent pronouncements from Putin reinforced\u2064 his narrative of Western abuse and encroachment on Russia&#8217;s territory and resources. He\u200b claimed that NATO&#8217;s expansion,\u2064 despite earlier pledges, \u200dwas the\u200d final straw.<\/p>\n<p>Aron highlights how Putin&#8217;s &#8220;alternate reality&#8221; has\u200b led to a rewriting of Russian history, denying alliances \u2063with Nazi Germany and portraying Ukraine as a Nazi stronghold. Putin&#8217;s propaganda machine has successfully\u2062 sold this narrative to the Russian people, fostering anti-American sentiment and creating a sense of\u200c Russia as\u2063 a besieged fortress. To maintain \u200bhis power, Putin has established a Stalin-like &#8220;vigilance&#8221; \u2064that eliminates any dissent.<\/p>\n<p>Putin&#8217;s ultimate goal\u200d is to restore Russia&#8217;s global status and counter the perceived threat of the U.S.-NATO hegemony. To achieve this, he relies on &#8220;nuclear blackmail&#8221;\u200d as \u2062reflected in Russian military\u2062 doctrine. Aron reveals that \u2064Russian nuclear weapons are primarily for the\u2062 protection of Putin and\u200b his cronies, rather than the Russian \u2063people. The details \u200cof Russian \u2062first-use rules remain \u200dhighly \u200cclassified.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has strategically confronted the West to validate his vision of Russia&#8217;s role in the world order. The 2014 hybrid war in Ukraine, leading to the\u2064 occupation of the Donbas and \u2064annexation of Crimea, exemplifies this approach. Despite the fiction of \u200dRussian non-involvement, Putin couldn&#8217;t resist taking credit for orchestrating the bloodless takeover of\u200d Crimea.<\/p>\n<p>As \u200dAron was writing his book, Putin&#8217;s invasion\u200d of\u200d Ukraine in February 2022 was unfolding. With 150,000 troops directed towards Kyiv and \u200cthe \u200bannihilation of the Ukrainian state, the outcome remains uncertain. Aron presents troubling scenarios of future Russian &#8220;smash \u200band grab&#8221; operations, such as targeting Russian-majority\u2062 districts\u200d in neighboring countries. This is not a far-fetched scenario but\u200d one that demands serious consideration.<\/p>\n<p>While skeptics argue that piercing the NATO \u2064shield would be too risky, Putin&#8217;s\u200c actions in 2022 have shown that he is willing to take such risks. Aron concludes that Putin&#8217;s rule can \u200bbe characterized by his use of war, but the question remains: Is he a Russia\u2064 patriot or a Mafia \u200bdon?<\/p>\n<p>Leon Aron&#8217;s book, &#8220;Riding the Tiger: Vladimir Putin&#8217;s Russia and the Uses of War,&#8221; provides a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pixars-elemental-flops-in-box-office-debut-with-disneys-first-nonbinary-character\/\" title=\"Pixar's Elemental disappoints at box office as Disney introduces first nonbinary character.\">thought-provoking exploration<\/a>\u200b of Putin&#8217;s Russia and its\u2063 implications for global security.<\/p>\n<p><i>Reviewed by Paul Gregory, a research fellow at Stanford University&#8217;s Hoover Institution and\u2063 the author of &#8220;The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> According to the author, what are \u200dthe key factors necessary for real change and progress in Russia&#8217;s political landscape<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Lished \u2064a system of control, suppressing opposition figures, stifling free speech, and\u2062 manipulating elections.<\/p>\n<p>Aron further illuminates\u2062 Putin&#8217;s regime\u200c by examining the role of corruption in Russia. He argues that corruption is not simply an unfortunate byproduct of Putin&#8217;s rule, but rather\u2063 an integral \u200cpart of his system of control. Putin&#8217;s inner circle, \u2062often referred to as the &#8220;oligarchs,&#8221; has amassed \u2063immense wealth \u2064through illicit means, while the rest of the population suffers. This corruption \u200bextends to all levels of society, from government officials to law enforcement, creating\u2063 a culture of impunity where the powerful are above the law.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u2063 Aron delves into the economic challenges facing Putin&#8217;s\u2062 Russia. While the country experienced a period of economic growth during the early years of Putin&#8217;s rule, it has since stagnated. This stagnation has been \u2062attributed \u200bto a lack of economic diversification, overreliance on natural \u200cresources, and the stifling effect of corruption.\u2063 As a result, the gap\u200d between the rich and the poor has widened, with the wealth of the nation concentrated in the hands of the few.<\/p>\n<p>Although\u200b Aron&#8217;s book paints a bleak\u2062 picture of Putin&#8217;s Russia, it also\u200c offers hope for\u2063 the future. The author argues that real change can only\u2062 come from within Russia \u2062itself, through the emergence\u200c of a strong civil society and a commitment\u2062 to democratic values. He observes\u2064 that there are signs of\u2064 resistance and dissent within Russia, as demonstrated by protests \u200cagainst \u2062corruption and the rise of opposition figures.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, &#8220;The House\u200d that Putin Built&#8221; provides a \u2062comprehensive and critical analysis of\u200d Vladimir Putin&#8217;s regime and its impact on Russia. Aron&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mary-harringtons-feminism-against-progress-opens-an-escape-hatch-for-the-sexual-revolutions-prey\/\" title=\"Mary Harrington\u2019s \u2018Feminism Against Progress\u2019 Opens An Escape Hatch For The Sexual Revolution\u2019s Prey\">book raises important questions<\/a> about the nature of power and the role of leadership\u200c in shaping a nation. \u2064By examining Putin&#8217;s motivations and actions, Aron offers a deeper \u2062understanding of the challenges facing Russia and the potential for change. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Russian politics and the global implications of Putin&#8217;s rule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leon Aron, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, penned a concise book tracing Vladimir Putin&#8217;s journey from humble beginnings in Leningrad to his unexpected ascent to power. The book highlights his controversial tactics, including apartment bombings, terror attacks, suppression of opposition, unprovoked invasions, and his current reign<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":2179200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/putin-main.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2179199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/putin-main.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2179199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2179199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2179199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2179200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2179199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2179199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2179199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}