At some point, Putin will be removed from office, either by a putsch or his own death/assassination. Frankly, if the US has to help that process along, it would be doing the world a favor. I'm normally not an advocate for extrajudicial assassination, but when you add up what Putin's responsible for, some people just need killing.
I'm reminded of the number of highly educated Americans who were Stalin apologists during the '30's. But "prince's" appeal to fatuous nonsense as his "royal blood" is sufficient to persuade me that he was not *educated* in any relevant sense, despite having been extensively schooled. Royal reverie is just standard issue racism tonied up in 5th Ave. duds. Critical aspects of that schooling are fiercely compartmentalized to prevent the kind of synoptic interaction between ideas and facts that is the hallmark of true education.
By the bye, the points you enumerate above, including the "cult of victimhood" (my phrase), closely parallel the structure of fascism. Fascism is:
"... a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion."
-- Robert O. Paxton, 'Anatomy of Fascism' [4267] Kindle edition.
(Paxton is my "go to guy" on the topic.)
I'd have been a lot less patient of "prince". But that's probably why I only have in the neighborhood of ~100 FB friends.
You would freaking hate this guy. Seriously. If it were you or him in the ring, I'd give it to you in the second round, full TKO, on account of the rage.
Love Paxton's definition of fascism, BTW. I think it's nailed it.
Thank you, Gary, for the Paxton quote, which I am posting to my FB page. Dear Gods! Every morning I wake up nervously wondering what crimes Putin has scheduled for the forthcoming day. Blessings to you.
Oh, I could have (should have) added in the above that, just because it has not (yet) achieved absolute, hegemonic power, that does NOT mean it isn't fascism. Many people seem to suppose that it is only fascism if it has achieved that final, end stage. Donald Trump is clearly a fascist even though he has not (yet) achieved absolute power.
this is a very important point, that we are already well into a GOP-style Fascist takeover scenario today in the USA.
I just wrote a comment to the NYTimes on Paul Krugman's essay today about DeSantis and Disney, in which I included your wonderful quote from Professor Paxton. Thank you again.
You are most welcome. I really, Really, REALLY, cannot recommend that book enough. In addition to being one of (if not simply THE) leading experts in the world on fascism, Paxton is also an excellent writer.
If you haven't heard it yet, NPR's This American Life did a recent episode about how Putin came to power that was filled with things I knew, but plenty that I didn't. And some things I had forgotten. I think that a huge problem with people like him...he's around so long and does so much that we somehow forget some of those terrible things. Then you line it all up, like you did above, and it's so damning it's a wonder anyone can ignore what's right in front of our faces. The episode came out in February or March and was called The Other Mr. President.
Based on your recommendation, I will definitely look for it. Thank you. There are shockingly few documentaries or episodes on Putin, and I'm pretty sure I've seen every one. He's a lowkey obsession of mine, just because I have long been aware of how dangerous he is. You, too, have known it. And now, here we are.
At some point, Putin will be removed from office, either by a putsch or his own death/assassination. Frankly, if the US has to help that process along, it would be doing the world a favor. I'm normally not an advocate for extrajudicial assassination, but when you add up what Putin's responsible for, some people just need killing.
Somebody's GOT to Et us, Brutus this SOB. Got to.
Regarding the "prince":
I'm reminded of the number of highly educated Americans who were Stalin apologists during the '30's. But "prince's" appeal to fatuous nonsense as his "royal blood" is sufficient to persuade me that he was not *educated* in any relevant sense, despite having been extensively schooled. Royal reverie is just standard issue racism tonied up in 5th Ave. duds. Critical aspects of that schooling are fiercely compartmentalized to prevent the kind of synoptic interaction between ideas and facts that is the hallmark of true education.
By the bye, the points you enumerate above, including the "cult of victimhood" (my phrase), closely parallel the structure of fascism. Fascism is:
"... a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion."
-- Robert O. Paxton, 'Anatomy of Fascism' [4267] Kindle edition.
(Paxton is my "go to guy" on the topic.)
I'd have been a lot less patient of "prince". But that's probably why I only have in the neighborhood of ~100 FB friends.
You would freaking hate this guy. Seriously. If it were you or him in the ring, I'd give it to you in the second round, full TKO, on account of the rage.
Love Paxton's definition of fascism, BTW. I think it's nailed it.
Thank you, Gary, for the Paxton quote, which I am posting to my FB page. Dear Gods! Every morning I wake up nervously wondering what crimes Putin has scheduled for the forthcoming day. Blessings to you.
Oh, I could have (should have) added in the above that, just because it has not (yet) achieved absolute, hegemonic power, that does NOT mean it isn't fascism. Many people seem to suppose that it is only fascism if it has achieved that final, end stage. Donald Trump is clearly a fascist even though he has not (yet) achieved absolute power.
this is a very important point, that we are already well into a GOP-style Fascist takeover scenario today in the USA.
I just wrote a comment to the NYTimes on Paul Krugman's essay today about DeSantis and Disney, in which I included your wonderful quote from Professor Paxton. Thank you again.
I love everything you write, Caroline. You are a true wordsmith.
You are most welcome. I really, Really, REALLY, cannot recommend that book enough. In addition to being one of (if not simply THE) leading experts in the world on fascism, Paxton is also an excellent writer.
If you haven't heard it yet, NPR's This American Life did a recent episode about how Putin came to power that was filled with things I knew, but plenty that I didn't. And some things I had forgotten. I think that a huge problem with people like him...he's around so long and does so much that we somehow forget some of those terrible things. Then you line it all up, like you did above, and it's so damning it's a wonder anyone can ignore what's right in front of our faces. The episode came out in February or March and was called The Other Mr. President.
Based on your recommendation, I will definitely look for it. Thank you. There are shockingly few documentaries or episodes on Putin, and I'm pretty sure I've seen every one. He's a lowkey obsession of mine, just because I have long been aware of how dangerous he is. You, too, have known it. And now, here we are.