Thursday, August 21, 2008

That's just Putin bein' Putin.

I never see Vladimir Putin without thinking of my college roommate, Evan. I can't recall the context, but at some point during college we saw the Russian president on television and Evan assessed his autocratic antics as follows:

"Ah, Zoloto. That's just Putin bein' Putin."


It still makes me laugh. Know what else is funny? President Bush's assessment of Putin in 2001:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul."

For a thought-provoking take on Moscow's recent conduct, check out David Remnick's essay in this week's New Yorker.

3 comments:

Jesse Gallagher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jesse Gallagher said...

I can imagine what W was thinking as he stared Putin directly in the eyes: "Boy, I love a good cheeseburger. With mustard and ketchup. I wonder if this Pootan guy likes mustard and ketchup on his cheeseburgers. Damn, I can't remember if I fed the dog this morning! Gotta call home when I get outta here."
Get a sense of his soul. My ass.

Jesse Gallagher said...

The author says Putin "views the United States as hypocritical, overextended, distracted, and reluctant[to protect Georgia]."
He found a way to remain in power over a huge country that was, and can be again, a tremendous world power. And he's right on target with his views of our foreign policy. So...
Jackass, yes.
Stupid jackass, no.