I agree. Putin was a career communist KGB Colonel, and like Milosevic in Serbia, when communism ended he needed a new path to power. He chose ultra nationalism, theocracy, revanchism, chauvinism, and cronyism. He latched onto the gangsters promising protection and profits as long as they stayed out of his way. It’s worked for him so far. He’s president for life. He threats his neighbors, all of them far weaker and no threat to Russia, for the sole purpose of maintaining himself in the public’s mind as the great savior of Russia. He spent more on the Sochi Olympics than all previous Olympics combined to glorify Russia (like Hitler did) and himself, and as a way to dole out public funds to his fellow gangsters. He has aligned Russia with Iran, North Korea, and Assad, another gangster. Yet, we have folks that fawn over Putin like creepy catamites in a county jail.