It's been a very long time...

Since my last post six years ago, much has changed.

We survived the worst presidency in the history of the term 'president'.

Almost singlehandedly, Stumpy the Clown a.k.a. Donald J. Trump took the most powerful and prestigious office in the world, and turned it into a narcissistic shitshow of previously unknown depths.

January 6th 2021, Stumpy the Clown with his support staff of MAGAtts, quite nearly brought the strongest democracy on Earth, to it's trembling knees. In the months and years preceding his attempted coup, Stumpy and his crony circus in the Senate packed the Supreme Court with rabidly right wing idealogues, bent on making our nation officially less tolerant, less equal, more mysoginistic and racist, than at any time in two generations. 

All of which appeals to the base instincts of the least educated, less travelled, unfortunately procreating people of the Republican party.

Resulting in a polarization of American society unseen since the 1960's.

Into this miasma of chaos steps our villain, Vladimir Poopin Pants a.k.a. Vladimir V. Putin.

Vlad the Dwarf earned his newest nickname today, when it was announced that his army in Lyman, {the one under his personal command} was surrounded and attempting a retreat from Ukrainian forces.

The day after he annexed the region of Ukraine that Lyman is part of.

Given the looks on the faces of those present at his proclamation, he should be shitting his pants.

That did not look like a crowd eager to buy bushels of bullshit.

And that's all Vlad has to sell.

Obviously, I've just skimmed the surface of events past without touching on very much at all.

That is the purpose of this post, to work my way back gradually to greater depth of thought on individual topics of personal importance.

"We've got a problem Washington..."

Weak, lackadaiscal, and straight up sorry... that's all one can say for the effort put forth thus far by the American coalition fighting daesh.
So, the Russians stepped in.
Perfect....
"Perfect 'Shit' Storm", another multipart masterpiece of American foreign policy in the making.

Mix a pound of Turkey, with two pounds of NATO, a dash of Australia, add just a smidgen of Hezbollah, Iran, the remaining cast of freedom fighters Assad loyalists, and what we have is a recipe for "successful" sequels like: "World War I: Part 3", and
"Escape of the Sane from Planet Insanity: Germany's Looking Good...This Time",  both features in development as we write.

Truly, for the most part I believe Barry's done a decent job, particularly given what he inherited.

However, when it comes to the Midget of Moscow...
Barry's given him a pass.
Sanctions smanctions.
This little despot needs a smack down. Yesterday.
Taking out his toys in Syria, would send the proper message.
Not only to Vlad, but to Uncle Ernie the Sultan of Turkey as well; he needs to have his efforts redirected like an ADHD kid. He's clearly not read the memo regarding not starting civil wars in one's own country, when there's already chaos on your borders, and in your government, that shit never works out.

Here's your gameplan Barry, I'm giving you a freebie today, 'cause we're brothers from other mothers.
We implement a robust NATO only fly zone, sans the Sultan's Air Farce; backed by a Powell-esque strategy of overwhelming ground force, ejecting not only daesh, but every other bad actor on the stage. Iran, Hezbollah, Assad...
Encourage the further acquisition of historical lands for our real allies Kurdistan, and Armenia.
Make Uncle Ernie understand what the consequences of misalignment are.
Push Putin back into his palace, patiently wait for the peasants to storm the throne...again.
It's Russia, that shit's inevitable.

1980 Moscow Olympics 2018 World Cup Uh Oh....

Remember 1979? When the Soviet Union invaded friendly, peaceful Afghanistan? Shortly thereafter we helped create the "mujahideen" with our good friends the Pakistani's, which later morphed into the Taliban...Well that's another story for a different post.

What most of us who were alive at the time will remember most vividly, was the move made by our President Jimmy Carter in response to the invasion; we boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
The Soviets in turn boycotted the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, as it was true then and remains true today, nobody missed the Russians.

Fast forward to 2015, we stand watching Russian aggression again unfold, this time in Ukraine, with yet another international sporting event in the wings. How will our current president respond...hmmmm?
Taking a page from Jimmy's playbook, and of course adding a judicial twist that Jimmy didn't have at his disposal; Barry removed the minions from Sepp Blatter's control, leaving him a lonely old man facing the storm alone. As a dude who's so old he farts dust, he retires and fades to black immediately after winning the election today.
Perhaps a car wreck is in his near future, or heart attack, at his advanced age anything can happen....

But back to Vlad, he's the real target; Barry's not going to merely boycott the World Cup, he's going to complete the humiliation of Vlad the Midget by having the games moved to another country. Witness the Midget's immediate embrace of the embattled Blatter, he's scared because he knows what Barry's up to. Love to see the little troll's face when he realizes how large a pile of shit he stepped into, just before he's consumed by it.

World War III Anyone?

Just read Chancellor Merkel's speech, giving her reasoning, for not providing Ukraine with heavy defensive weapons. While she makes the valid point, Vlad's not going to back down if we up the ante; she misses the larger more salient point. Aggression unchecked, leads to more aggression. A lesson taught so well by her own ancestors, I'm flummoxed at the idea she can't see it.

As I read Ms. Merkels' statement, I couldn't help but be transported back to 1938.
The phrase "peace in our time" as proclaimed by Neville Chamberlain, upon his return from meeeting with Hitler, during which he gave Herr Hitler the West's blessing to Germany's march into the Sudetenland, rings with an ominous echo today.

Putin, has become bolder in his actions in light of the economic sanctions put into play, not less so, and certainly if we send in weapons, Russia will respond. Disproportianately.
In Czar Vlad's eyes, Ukraine is Russia, has been forever, and will continue as the western frontier of the largest nation on earth. Think "lebensraum" or in English "living room", the German term used by the Nazi's to describe their push east into Poland, Czechoslovakia....
Putin's using the same rationale, Ukraine is to Russia, what Eastern Europe was to the Nazi's.

Witness the demands coming from Moscow, while Merkel insists the original peace plan be the starting point for future discussions. Those demands for territory grow with every word passed in negotiation. So far as Putin is concerned, that first disingenuous offer made, which was never to be honored, was only subterfuge allowing Russia to inject more and better armed forces to the region, while consolidating facts on the ground.

Peace negotiations with Vlad are doomed to fail; sending only defensive weaponry to the Ukrainians, will only forestall the inevitable crushing of Ukraine, with inherent catastrophic effects to their society.
No, the only way to roll Vlad back, is to commit the full force of NATO to the cause, and do it soon.
Should Vlad find success in this folly, does anyone believe it stops there?
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, these countries know all to well it stops when the Russians hit the Baltic.

Ikraine, Ukraine, Wekraine

Czar Vlad, saw the pics of you greeting farmers in the fields of Stavropol, sporting jeans and a shirt. Very glad to see you opted for the shirt this time; still reeling from the searing shock on my eyeballs of your last episode of soft white bellied political porn"Vlad's Gone Bad". When shit like that comes creeping across the screen during lunch, it makes even In 'n Out a challenge to finish.
Dude you're short, you're stumpy, really kinda dumpy, with a face so forgettable if you didn't have Russia by the throat politically you wouldn't merit a passing first glance. Let alone a serious look.
JFK you 'aint.

Once again though you've demanded, and received our attention little man, so please share your myopic midget's vision of Russia's economic sphere of influence.
But first, can I suggest something new for you Vlad?
Go for something a little less Soviet/Czarist Re-Tread, and maybe something a bit more modern day Russia Realistic. That means, at least to most of us around the globe, that you start work on reeling in the thuggery and graft at home, before you coerce 'er I mean entice other Fourth World Countries to join your fiefdom. It's really your only legitimate hope to attract some other megolomaniac running a poor misfortuned former Soviet sub-state.

Unfortunately, that's the only path you know, because that's Russian history in a nutshell.
Rather than make a compelling offer of cooperaiton based on mutual benefit, you're trudging down the turgid path of lead or gold. Lead for the peasants and intelligentsia of any given target of conquest, gold for the overlords who implement your plans for re-conquest of lost empire.

History repeats itself again, though this time not in the media vaccuum of times past.
In real time we're all treated to the un-abated wholesale blitz of propaganda from both sides, along with ghoulish footage of slavic brothers killing each other at the whim of a kleptocratic-sociopathic dwarf.

Like I said Vlad, something new would be welcome.
Here's my suggestion; declare yourself retired, allow real democracy a chance to gain a foothold.
Then just hang back, enjoy the bazillion dollars, and equal amount of euros and pounds sterling, you no doubt have squirreled away around the globe. Everyone knows Russian banks aren't worth a shit.

Putin, Erdogan Two Leaders Two Losers

Haven't weighed in on Turkey before, but now it's just too tempting with Erdogan's Twitter ban.
Getting the opportunity to skewer two losers in one colummn, fucking priceless.

Just as was witnessed in the years leading up to WWI; two backward looking leaders treading the loose soils of barely there nations, Russia and Turkey, have jumped to the fore of states teetering on the brink of anarchy. Of course we don't count Africa, North Africa, or Egypt in the group, because even in the best of times anarchy reigns in these basket cases.

Sultan Erdogan, 'er I mean Prime Minister, you've been caught with your sticky little hand in the baklava tray, your son, your cronies and their kids, are all circling the bowl in the final flush. Ergenekon is crashing around you like the waves that took the Titanic, and recorded calls between you and your son detailing your profligate corruption, fascinating in the extreme.

Equally fascinating, that you head a party founded on the precepts of integrity, and truth. Yet when the harsh light of day shines on that truth, you turn to the mechanisms of the police state to repress those who would hold you accountable. Then hamhanded in the way of Putin, you attempt to shut down dissent along with Twitter.

What is it with you tiny little trolls? It would seem the old saying that absolute power corrupts absolutely, should have your's and Vlad's photo's in the tome next to the definition.
You two are just this years faces, we try to keep them current. The space where the American Presidents face would be; that's an avatar with the caption"insert photo here".

Ceasefire!

Wow that was quick Vlad, stopping the sanctions fire the way you did, is it because you want to work things out? Or is that sinking realization hitting you, that whatever sanctions your ginormous backwater of a fourth world nation can issue, may only effect other fourth world economies like yours?

Vlad Russia needs the rest of the world badly, the rest of the world can do nicely without Russia, if nothing else the Cold War proved that. But you know what they say Vlad, the definition of insanity is to repeat bad behaviours, and expect a different outcome each time. You Vlad meet this axiom head on.

Given your career in the KGB during the collapse of the former empire, one would think that perhaps you might try something new, rather than repeating the same mistakes that lead to the demise of the USSR. Clearly that's not the case, instead your improv act on the world stage just copies the same sorry, lack of imagination and intelligence of your predecessors.

Your act is old Vlad, freshen that shit up a bit, bring something relevant to the game. I mean really, don't you have the slightest capacity for original thought? You're as tired and worn as Hollywood's endless remakes of past films, with the resulting product a mere shadow of what came before.

In other words, as much as you want to be, you're not Stalin Vlad, nor do your people venerate, or fear you in the same way. Perceptions around the world are of a miniature megalomaniac, beady little eyes so close together you're practically a midget cyclops, with stubby little fingers poised on the launch button of a nuclear arsenal so poorly built and maintained; that should you push that button, no one really knows what to expect.

One thing's for certain, push that button, and your fourth world last century, pile of bullshit country will die with you at the head of the pack.
Vladhole.

Vlad's Last Gasp, or the U.V.M.S Union of Vlad's Mafiosi States

Yeah the title's a bit premature, but a guy can dream right?
Talking about the last gasp part, not the U.V.M.S. The U.V.M.S portion is all too real, and all too scary for the real world, the one Vlad apparently vacated a few years ago.
Is anybody really grasping the fact that Vladhole is risking WWIII, because his crumbled empire really really doesn't want to be pieced back together again?
Vlad, the former USSR is Humpty Fucking Dumpty.

All your Russian biker gangs, and military without insignia, can never ever reassemble the omelette of your youth. That egg dish was consumed a lifetime ago, unfortunately not your lifetime.

Around the world, everybody 's scratching their heads wondering what's your next Darwin Award winning move.
From where I'm sitting, it's quite clear, you're next move is the attempted annexation of the entirety of eastern Ukraine. Another ridiculous referendum, directed by "patriots" flown in for the event courtesy of Poopin Airways, you know their slogan "Wherever we fly you're gonna die".
They bring ballots with two choices, the first and most obvious is to accept your very loving and kind offer of Russian affiliation. The second choice, and clearly the one most would prefer, is to be left alone.
But we all know that's not a choice is it Vlad?

Vlad Blocked Me

Surprise, surprise, surprise!! Gomer Pyle, er I mean Vlad the Inhaler has blocked the American Reality Party in Russia. Let's all say it together: " Huh?"

If I get 150 views a  month, it's a big deal, a really big deal to me personally; but insomuch as having influence, I daresay there is none. Over the past couple of years we did see quite a few readers, and even one or two comments from Russia. Haven't had one in months, not since my posts regarding the Pussy Riot debacle.

So why are you blocking me Vlad?

Is it possible your paranoia is reaching Stalinesque levels? Clearly your ego found that ground long ago; can't be long until the rest of your sociopathic personality reveals itself in full bloom. After all spring is in the air, and like a pollen based allergy, you Vlad are a nuisance to those with a penchant for breathing freely.

In fact this worldwide reaction to Putin, analogous to an allergen entering the body, is beyond apropos.
Vlad, you may think you're the antihistamine to my allergy, but it is the opposite I'm afraid.
It won't be long now before your people expel you with the force of a great and wonderful sinus clearing sneeze. Freeing the airways for the Russian and Ukrainian people to finally for once breathe free air.

Invasion Time

It's on now, the full fledged invasion of Ukraine is now fact. Vlad has no intention whatsoever of backing down. Kerry, you're wasting your breath with Lavrov, or just killing time while NATO gears up for the big stare down.

Something tells me that Vlad's been pining for this day, since he was strutting around in loaded diapers.
Raised on the valiant stories of Soviet success in defeating the Nazi's; he's been handed an opportunity in adulthood, to prove that he too, should be added to the pantheon of great leaders.

Problem is, he's dealing with a whole new reality that he has surely not grasped.
First, the nations he's lining up as foes, are his main trading partners. Not the brightest bulb in the shop Vlad.
In regimes past, the USSR, nor the czarists were as financially intertwined with the rest of the world as Russia is today.

Second, after years of mafiosi cronyism in government, and little real investment in modernizing the armed forces; you're setting yourself up for the big fail Vladdy boy. Your army could no sooner stand up to NATO, than a Boy Scout troop.

Third and not least, is the fact that truly great leadership as demonstrated by the likes of Churchill, Roosevelt, and even Stalin after the Nazi double cross of WWII, was the fact that these men rallied their people against an invasion, and the defeat of evil. They had the balls to join together two disparate antagonistic forms of government, into a formidable military alliance.

You Vlad offer just the opposite, you have no allies to your evil. Even your own oligarchy are now casting wary eyes on this folly as they fall victim to travel restrictions, freezing out of financial markets.
This is your reality Russia; Vladdy boy is leading you down a well worn path to the pits of hell, from which you will have to dig your sorry third world country out of, once again.

Haven't the past 400 years or so taught you people anything?

Vlad's Right About One Thing

While we all sit around waiting to see what Vlad will do next, kinda like ghoulishly watching a car race with the intent of seeing a crash; let's talk about why he's doing it, and why he couldn't give a rats ass about what Barry has to say.

Vlad's following a well worn script, he's smart, but he didn't write this scenario all by himself. He's simply doing what the czars did before him, he's giving Russia strategic breathing room. Difference is, the czars already colonized Crimea, and eastern Ukraine, Vlad's just reasserting those claims in areas heavily populated wth the descendants of those colonists.

Why could he give two shits if Barry and the EU condemn him?
In his mind, he's doing what's in his nations best interest, as the US does all around the globe.
One word justifies all his actions in Russia, even to those who don't agree with him, hypocrisy.

American hypocrisy, to be exact. Barry stands at the bully pulpit of the American Presidency proclaiming Putin a criminal, while the US pulls the trigger on many more illegal incursions in sovereign states. Iraq, just because Bush had a grudge, Afghanistan and Pakistan because we can, our continued occupation of Japan, Germany, England, Italy...we have bases everywhere.
What other nation has military bases in the numbers we do around the globe?
None. Not even remotely close.

Reality is America, we are not the beloved white knights of democracy and freedom around the world that our government has worked so hard to plant into your minds. Our global fight is not against terrorism or hunger, illiteracy, or even despots like Vlad. No we are hegemonists, with the sole intent of keeping our military/industrial mastery of the Earth intact.

9-11 didn't happen because everybody loves us. It happened because our government champions the oppression of other nations at the behest of our corporate elite. America didn't write the script for hegemony, we just perfected it.

So as Vlad stands before the world justifying his atrocious behavior, you have to recognize the fact that he's right, in the sense that Russia is only doing what we do, taking what we want, when we want it, from whomever has it.

That's the American Way.

Crimea River

I know the title's lame, and altogether too obvious...but then why shouldn't it be when we're discussing "Vladimir's Folly".
Clearly we were not far off the mark in our last post where we accused Vlad of slicing off a chunk of Ukraine for Mother Russia, annexation of Crimea is now a foregone conclusion. With Donetsk and Kharkiv awaiting their warm embrace from Vlad.

Speaking solely for myself, the mental image of Vlad embracing anyone makes me want to hurl.
Could it be I'm not alone?

Here's our reality America, other than sanctioning Russia diplomatically, our only recourse is to sink the Russian state economically. We did it before, and we're in a very unique position to do so again.
Given Vlad's penchant for stripping his nation of it's natural resources, and his neglect of anything remotely resembling real industry; his vulnerability is a clear and fortuitous target.

Namely, natural gas; we the US of A, sit on more gas than we can use. Pretty much more than any other country on Earth. Given a substantial joint effort of government, industry and environmentalists, we could very easily disrupt or even destroy Russia's chokehold on Europe through natural gas sales.

Think of all the gas that's just being burned off in North Dakota right now, more than one million dollars worth per day, because we did not have the foresight to build infrastructure capable of exporting that asset. As that asset goes up in smoke, so does our best weapon for putting Putin out of power.

Vlad, how long can you hold out if we suddenly flood the market with cheap gas?

I keep hearing an old Mellencamp tune in my head: "The walls, keep tumblin' down, the walls..."

Ukraine III

I knew you wouldn't let us down Vlad; that phony pretext of Russian's being threatened by Ukrainian mobs is straight out of Hitler 101. Or is it Stalin 101, maybe it's just despot 101. No real difference evil is evil anyway you slice it. The country Vlad, the way you slice the country.

Donetsk, Kharkiv... where exactly will you draw the new boundary? So exciting, sitting in the Kremlin redrawing maps at your whim. What it must be like to play king... with so many inconsequential serfs to grind to dust.

So what's your next genius move? Cut off gas to the western portion of Ukraine? Can't do that, unless you want to cut off your cash cow in the rest of Europe; you know that growing list of nations lining up to sanction you and your capos. Yes the same countries who have been supporting your regime through the trade of stolen Yukos natural gas; those same countries are looking like they may finally nut up and face you down.

Today the list of economic and political sanctions at the disposal of your trading partners far surpass those at the hands of 1930's Europe, and perhaps these same countries will finally exhibit a proactive will to prevent further episodes of "Vladimir's Folly". Point is Vlad, you're treading on thin ice, your stock market is in freefall, the ruble rumbling down the slope of equity to it's lowest point in years. All the while, you fiddle while Kiev burns.

Ukraine II

Putin, you're as predictable as the sun rising. Russian troops, and your own personal biker gang demarcating the boundaries of the new East Ukraine, was as easy to foresee as your next shirtless anti gay rant.
But really what sets you apart now is your disavowal of those forces being yours , then having a biker gang come in and announce that they represent the new boundary of Russia. Thug life much Vlad?
What's the point? You're constantly trying to portray yourself as a badass, why not wear your thuggery with the pride of a bikers colors?

Russia, what's it like to have a latter day Al Capone running your country? Hell we get lied to on a daily basis here; but you guys are expected to swallow delusional bullshit on a scale I thought was reserved for North Korea. Are you really that brainwashed, or just cowed? Either way, it's not showing you folks in the most positive light.

Reality was and remains, that Russia and the West will always be at odds; our way of life imbues our leaders with the understanding that ultimately they serve at our whim. Whilst in Russia the opposite is historically true, the people live at the whim of their dictator, be they titled czar or comrade.

Rockin' the Ukraine

Oop's didn't see this coming... right? No everyone saw this coming. Anyone paying attention that is.
Poopin's on the move. Ukraine 2014 is beginning to resemble Germany 1945 about now, at least with regard to one country becoming two, split on an East West axis. Only difference being, the devastation of war that preceded Germany's partition, is still on the horizon. Closing as fast as a cruise missile.

Anybody foolish enough to believe, for even the briefest of moments, that Vlad would allow one of Russia's last vassel states to abandon his pirate ship, has clearly walked the plank of sanity.
Mr. Poopin's about to unleash his military in a way the Chechen's and the Georgian's experienced, but with far more brutality, and far greater manpower and resources.

Poopin has used with glee, and the precision of a wrecking ball, every tool in the box including but not limited to: threats, coersion, bribery, assassination; to gather new and return lost Soviet/Czarist influence and territory to the Russian fold. (Read: his personal fiefdom.) This direct affront to his authority will be suppressed, and done so with extreme prejudice.

Ukraine is the crown jewel of the empire after Mother Russia, has been since the 17th century.
If Vlad loses Ukraine on his watch, what will his ultra nationalist facsist friends think of him, or
his ability to withstand a putsch?

No, there's a great deal more at stake here than just Ukraine walking. Vlad's very grip on power, like the grip on his penis, is tight. The question is how long can he take the pressure?
Russian citizen patriot you're now in a free fire zone, and Vlad's a dead man walking target.
Do your duty, before millions suffer for the ego of a troll.

Sucki it is...

Sorry Vlad, the votes have been tallied, a near unanimous outcome I'm afraid.
These Winter Games in Sochi are Sucki.

From the all too predictable no show of new snow, the crack head half pipe, to the tandem toilets, it's a fail.

The question is; how large a bribe did you offer the IOC to get this stupendous clusterfuck Mr. Poopin?

In a nation pretty much covered in snow and ice for much of the year, you personally selected the one venue least suitable for any winter sport.
Then the IOC signed on....?

Vlad none of us are that stupid.

At least Salt Lake City gets snow. If you're going to get with the IOC and gerrymander the process of securing a games like Mitt Rmoney did, then at least for God's sake select a location with some fucking snow.

Throw in a few hotels that are actually functioning, and you may have something there.

Sochi or Sucki?

Vlad, saw the gay men's toilet that's been getting print and airplay; I'm guessing that with all the bluff and bluster the truth has come out.
I mean with your pechant for being photographed sans shirt, like many gay men on internet dating sites, you've finally come out as a self loathing gay man who can't come to grips with his sexuality.

Much like Hitler, the self hating Jew, you feel some strange, bizarre need to persecute your own kind.
What's up Vlad?
We live in an enlightened era, well at least those of us who reside in the 21st century anyway, these old social norms are dead.
Much like the USSR you insist on reviving.
Get over it Vlad, it's over.
Sucki is the beginning of your end.

Midget in a Minefield

What does one say about Vlad's, ham handed moves at trying to reassemble the USSR?

Extortion, bribery, outright threats of economic destruction, cutting gas and oil shipments to countries whose only means of keeping their populations alive during harsh northern European winters, lies in their ability to import Russian stores.

Yeah Vlad I believe when you threaten an entire nation with freezing, that might be considered un-neighborly in your parts, the rest of the world looks on that as a crime against humanity.

But how would you recognize such a thing?

Wouldn't actually being a human be a prerequsite for understanding crimes against humanity?

Stalin, wasn't human, neither were Hitler or Mao.

Unfortunately for the Russians, and their former friends in the USSR, a troglodyte from a past era has foisted himself on a long suffering people.

Why do the power hungry Putin's of diminutive proportions always stick their tiny little hands into the public pie?

Forcing their own myopic vision on those who can see.

What is going on in that itty bitty little brain, behind those blank beady blue eyes?

Evil.

Russia, the midget you've allowed to become czar, has placed your entire nation in the midst of a minefield.

Brezhnev 2.0

Vlad is really rocking the retro Soviet show trial thing.
Last week he ordered a court to find a dead man guilty.
This week he orders another court to convict his chief naysayer on trumped up embezzlement charges.
Hey, maybe you can dig up the Czar and kill him again?

You're a busy dude Vlad, checking your decrepit conscription armed forces during the largest post Soviet war games; riding in a sub, the only thing I haven't see you do is inoculate kids against disease.
I mean a midget with your talents should never allow himself to be limited when the cult of personality is still under construction. Too many ways to endear yourself to the people with propaganda based in fantasy.
Then again isn't all your propaganda fantasy?

Unlike our own leaders who bungle about blindly killing innocents with "signature strikes" from drones; you target your foes with phony legal charges, long predetermined sentences in far off gulags...
Actually you're not a whole lot different than Barry are you?
Barry likes to hide behind "state secrets", keeps people locked up without charge or trial for years on end in a prison he promised to close six long years ago. Prosecutes in secret courts without real due process, and allows testimony derived from torture to be used in those courts.
So no Vlad, you're no worse than Barry the Constitutional law professor.

What does that say about us?
The people who allow ourselves to be lead by evil?

Vladimir Putin; Pussy Extraordinaire

Pussy Riot, the all-female Russian punk band, jailed for singing a protest song about Putin.
Source: Google Images

"Short people got no reason..."
"They got little hands, little eyes."
"They walk around tellin' great big lies..."

Sound familiar Russia? Amazing how song lyrics reflect real life, is it not?
Clearly Randy Newman had no way of foreseeing the rise of your very own Short People: Putin/Medvedev Inc.
However, he like the rest of us who study history, has a long well documented list of mini men who became dictators from which to draw inspiration for these lyrics.
Perfect analogies to what Russia faces today.

"They got little noses, and tiny little teeth."
"They wear platform shoes on their nasty little feet..."

They have no tolerance for freedom, despise free speech.
They jail young women, who use art to teach.
They fear losing power, knowing death is at hand.
That's why they locked up the girls in the band.

Little bitty men, with tiny little hearts.
Tore young lovers and families apart.
No sense of value, chained up in pride.
Nothin but darkness and evil inside.


"They got little baby legs, that stand so low."
 "You gotta pick em up, just to say hello."

They got little baby ears stuck to tiny round domes.
Full of bad ideas for you folks back home.
You threw out the czar, and the Nazis' too.
Best kill Vlad before he gets you.