A Politician Freed to be Himself

Saw an interesting interview with a woman billed as a Russian and Putin expert. The interviewer set the table with the proposition that Putin was attempting to recreate some new Russian hegemony with his action in Ukraine and resurrect the old empire. The woman listen quietly as the man went on building his case. Finally he allowed her to speak. She replied that Putin's actions had nothing to do with nostalgia or empire. Everything he was doing was trade related, specifically natural gas. He wants to create a monopoly of supply and delivery. Think, she said, of cartels fighting over drug distribution rights. Think Mafia. That, she said, is exactly what Putin is like and he is good at it. The interviewer was stunned to silence.