~So you like Putin’s ideology and you’re willing to put up with his geo-politics to achieve the ends you desire? Is that what your point is? What is it about the rise of Putin’s power that you approve of?~
There is more freedom in Russia under Putin and more opportunities. It was basically a failed state before him.
Other things about him I don’t like.
~I believe Putin’s done more to bring ISIL control of parts of Syria and Iran into existence than any other world leader aside from Assad and al Maliki.~
I’d like to learn your perspective if you say so.
I am commenting without the benefit of detailed intel reports, but my guess is that Putin has miscalculated by giving these pro-Russian forces weapons that were meant to create problems for the Ukraine and not for civil aviation.
He is probably chewing out the idiots who did this right now over a secure phone line, or one that he thinks is secure anyway. Some boffins at NSA are probably attentively transcribing it now. Then Obama can bungle the situation later.
Putin’s support to Assad assured that no peaceful transition was possible during the early days of protests against Assad’s tyranny. Gradually, Assad used terror tactics (sharp shooters shooting from roofs at peaceful demonstrators (like Putin’s picked president Viktor Yanukovych did in imitation in Kiev) to marginalize the mostly peaceful and democratic opposition. Putin and Assad pursued a scorched earth policy demonizing all who opposed them as al Qaeda (sounds familiar to Ukraine. 2% of the Ukrainians voted for the fascists, yet Putin’s propaganda wing still claims all of the Ukrainians opposed to Putin’s takeover are Nazis). Into the chaos of Assad and Putin’s special brew in Syria, the real Islamist demons, al Qaeda, stepped with the same uncompromising mindset. Despite Assad’s long history of supporting al Qaeda, especially when they were killing Americans in Iraq, al Qaeda turned on Assad. Assad’s lust for power for his own personal ends, like Putin’s own lust, could not do what was best for Syria and assure a smoothed transition away from socialist/monarchy. Putin made that intransigence possible and he too is a president for life type. Putin is never going to permit civil, democratic government because he’s opposed to that form of life. Both Putin and Assad prefer to fight al Qaeda than to support free people. I believe in fighting al Qaeda and supporting the rule of law, civil government, a free press, freedom of religion (not Putin-approved Ultra Orthodox priests being paid to puppet the Putin line), private ownership of property (not crony capitalism), and a freedom that allows multi-party democracy.