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Except potentially a desperate Putin. I do think the only hope is the Russian military not following him at that point.

by password54321 5y ago

hk__2 5y ago
> Except potentially a desperate Putin. No. Putin is not crazy; he knows it would be stupid to do so.
- yosito 5y ago
  > Putin is not crazy From what I've seen, he may be the most delusional human being alive.
- password54321 5y ago
  If Putin fails this, it is over for him. There is no turning back from this and continuing to lead the country. The whole idea of invading can be classified as crazy and was not expected to actually happen by many. I just wouldn't underestimate him if he is backed into a corner.
  - pell 5y ago
    >If Putin fails this, it is over for him. Does not have to be the case. If the loyalists around him don't topple him he can sell this one way or another to the Russian public. I think a lot of people outside of Russia think it's some heavily censored, propaganda-fueled place. Most Russians are actually very skeptical of what their government says, it's very common to roll one's eyes at official statements. However, this does not change the wish to remain powerful even if just in a self-preserving image. If that does not work, the victimhood card also is often used successfully. If Putin can remain popular and the cronies around him don't replace him it would not have to be over for him at all.
    - int_19h 5y ago
      Many things can be sold to the public, but it's particularly hard to sell a steady stream of coffins, and especially so if you can't showcase significant military gains.
- lstodd 5y ago
  Putin is crazy. This was established as early as 1999, multiple public declarations in 2014.
- ajross 5y ago
  That's the conventional picture of Putin: he's a calculating, amoral, Machiavellian genius playing the west like a fiddle. Recent events have... not been kind to that theory. Putin certainly seems off. Nothing about this invasion makes sense strategically, and that was true even back when we thought it would be executed competently!
nest0r 5y ago
Meh... some guard will stand up and give him a bullet. Nuclear war will never happen.

Except potentially a desperate Putin. I do think the only hope is the Russian military not following him at that point.

hk__2 5y ago

> Except potentially a desperate Putin. No. Putin is not crazy; he knows it would be stupid to do so.

yosito 5y ago
> Putin is not crazy From what I've seen, he may be the most delusional human being alive.
password54321 5y ago
If Putin fails this, it is over for him. There is no turning back from this and continuing to lead the country. The whole idea of invading can be classified as crazy and was not expected to actually happen by many. I just wouldn't underestimate him if he is backed into a corner.
- pell 5y ago
  >If Putin fails this, it is over for him. Does not have to be the case. If the loyalists around him don't topple him he can sell this one way or another to the Russian public. I think a lot of people outside of Russia think it's some heavily censored, propaganda-fueled place. Most Russians are actually very skeptical of what their government says, it's very common to roll one's eyes at official statements. However, this does not change the wish to remain powerful even if just in a self-preserving image. If that does not work, the victimhood card also is often used successfully. If Putin can remain popular and the cronies around him don't replace him it would not have to be over for him at all.
  - int_19h 5y ago
    Many things can be sold to the public, but it's particularly hard to sell a steady stream of coffins, and especially so if you can't showcase significant military gains.
lstodd 5y ago
Putin is crazy. This was established as early as 1999, multiple public declarations in 2014.
ajross 5y ago
That's the conventional picture of Putin: he's a calculating, amoral, Machiavellian genius playing the west like a fiddle. Recent events have... not been kind to that theory. Putin certainly seems off. Nothing about this invasion makes sense strategically, and that was true even back when we thought it would be executed competently!

nest0r 5y ago

Meh... some guard will stand up and give him a bullet. Nuclear war will never happen.