Putinism

[Dave Monroe]

1 | THE END OF THE SOVIET ERA

http://us.macmillan.com/excerpt?isbn=9781250064752

On Sat, Jul 11, 2015 at 3:21 AM, Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com> wrote:
> PUTINISM
> Russia and Its Future with the West
> Walter Laqueur
> Thomas Dunne Books
>
> There is no question that tensions between Russia and America are on
> the rise. The forced annexation of Crimea, the downing of Malaysia
> Airlines flight 17, and the Russian government's treatment of
> homosexuals have created diplomatic standoffs and led to a volley of
> economic sanctions. In America, much of the blame for Russia's recent
> hostility has fallen on steely-eyed President Vladimir Putin and many
> have begun to wonder if they we are witnessing the rebirth of Cold
> War-style dictatorship.
>
> Not so fast, argues veteran historian Walter Laqueur.
>
> For two decades, Laqueur has been ahead of the curve, predicting
> events in post-Soviet Russia with uncanny accuracy. In Putinism, he
> deftly demonstrates how three long-standing pillars of Russian
> ideology-a strong belief in the Orthodox Church, a sense of Eurasian
> "manifest destiny," and a fear of foreign enemies-continue to exert a
> powerful influence on the Russian populous. In fact, today's Russians
> have more in common with their counterparts from 1904 than 1954 and
> Putin is much more a servant of his people than we might think.
>
> Topical and provocative, Putinism contains much more than historical
> analysis. Looking to the future, Laqueur explains how America's
> tendency to see Russia as a Cold War relic is dangerous and premature.
> Russia can and will challenge the West and it is in our best interest
> to figure out exactly who we are facing-and what they want-before it
> is too late.
>
> http://us.macmillan.com/putinism/walterlaqueur
>
> Walter Laqueur
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Laqueur
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