He supported terrorists to influence other nations, but he didn't claim their land.

Putin is more like Mussolini, but toned down a little.

His computer model will eventually . . .

Never mind - I'm gonna get in trouble if I go there.

On another thread I'm talking with another woman who grew up with liberal parents during the Reagan Era.

Next time my husband acts the fool I'm going to tell him to stop acting like Putin. He's from Italy - he's really not going to like that.

I pointed it out here on DU. It was like someone threw a neocon switch to suddenly demonize him. There was a sudden wave.

So I don't buy the narrative which describes him as though he lives in a vacuum devoid of neocon machinations and assertions.

and it was mostly because they knew deep down just how dumb Preznit Stupid was. They knew he would give everything to his Pootie Poot because he "saw his soul."

I don't see Putin as much of a mastermind right now, not since he decided to annex the Crimea and possibly eastern Ukraine by force instead of plebiscite. Force will cost him dearly in national treasury, lives and PR. In addition, it's far easier to grab territory than it is to keep it unless the majority of people in that territory wanted the annex--and even then it gets dicey.

Putin is posturing for a domestic audience, as it would seem noisy militarism
plays as well in Pinsk as it did in Peoria.

He's *definitely* using Ronnie's playbook at home

And it's working, for the moment

and despicable anti-gay laws.

Bush came up through the CIA ranks and was running the agency behind the scenes for years before stepping into the limelight.

Putin was a KGB veteran who's hunger for power drive him to public office.

They both miss 1980 very much. They both would've handled the end of the Cold War different from how their bosses did.

...right down to the macho imagery.

I kid, I kid- you make a good point...

But this last time poppy left pulling the strings to his cohort, the Evil Dick.

was in office, his handlers handled everything and created the myth and legend. Putin himself actually dominates Russia. Second, unless Reagan seized portions of Mexico and declared them "New America" that I don't remember, there's no comparison.

using Reagan's media schtick: "Watch our strong President do manly outdoorsy stuff!"

And jock-sniffers eat it up...

That was their refrain back in the day. Funny how things reverse themselves.

WARNING-much of this is truly vile stuff. That said....
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/12596602

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5473677

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5474279

I've noticed a uniform pattern of pro-Russian talking points on DU and elsewhere...

It really went over the top when the usual suspects first started floating those "U.S. is responsible for the MH17 shootdown" bullshit stories; which got tweaked to "U.S. is covering up MH17" stories which I see on DU every 12 hours...

thanks for posting those links.

Sid

Reagan, for all his faults, didn't approve of, or outright call for, for the outright persecution of gays in his country.