So, relaxing after giving a 10,000+ word speech of great significance is done by meeting with a group of very motivated military people. That’s some cup of coffee! But before sitting down again in front of a large crowd, Putin toured the complex where the meeting would occur. Here’s the
I'm a bit short on time so I merely skimmed Mr. Putin's exchange with the graduates, but once again he demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities. He isn't waving his arms, giving orders to underlings. On the contrary, he's LISTENING. He invites feedback, criticism, and new ideas. This is the essence of a successful leader.
People call Mr. Putin a dictator or worse, but if so he's the canniest, most humble dictator that ever walked the earth. He wants to make things better for Russians - all Russians. But he doesn't pretend to have all the answers. Instead he's open to ideas on the best way to go about it. This in turn can't help but create loyalty and buy in. People genuinely feel like they're a part of the revival of their country.
When you look around the world at national leaders, you can't help but grade Mr. Putin in the 99th percentile.
And thus ongoing improvement or modernization as some might call it further strengthen and make Russia's system of governance and its civil society more efficient, thus more powerful in the sense of governance capability.
Putin behaves like the ringmaster in a multiple-ringed circus, enabling the coordinated performances of extraordinary acts. Or the conductor of massive orchestras producing harmony.
The governing principle is that of service to all the people - according to an explicit public service ethic.
Not a controller, dictator as in hierarchical governance, whether by monarchs, priests, militarists, merchants and their corporations and bankers, owners of communication outlets, secret cabals, or leaders elected through persuasive competitive discourse, in the fascistic model.
He’s obviously very good at it.
Xi seems similar. It’s a good basis for international mutualist interactions - the upcoming new world order.
And both Putin and Xi are surrounding themselves with like-minded contributors providing for seamless succession. And have begun to cleanse their countries of those in positions of power who have reneged on the public service ethic.
Yes, and many cynical Westerners don't understand that there are those who harbor the civil service ethos that has honor and duty at its core. The Liberal dicta within the USA has long been "go out and prove your own worth"; "Go West young man;" there's no need to stay at home and help with the greater family upkeep. Communal society versus individualist society. When you dig into the underlying cultures of China, Russia and other Eurasian nations, you'll discover there's a sharing of fundamental values. And horror of horrors for Western elites: There are some things that are more important than money that keep societies functional.
And that Honor is shared by many nations who never fought a major industrial war. The supposed female fascination with the man in uniform isn't the uniform; rather, it's the Honor that goes with donning the uniform, or at least that's how I was raised. Yes, like you I discovered that Honor was betrayed and used to advance Elite interests, but that still doesn't negate Honor's value.
Hollywood as "cult"ure manufacturer is true to a degree, but there was a time when high morals were displayed and very difficult cultural issues were aired on stage and in movies, 1948-1964 roughly. Then we entered the Era of the Spaghetti Westerns, the Man with No Name and movies that depicted the reality of the Outlaw US Empire--always for a Few Dollars More. Much can be learned from a deeper look into that film genre. Then we got into the darker Charles Bronson/Dirty Harry regime followed by the Gore movie genre of so-called horror films that I boycotted--I saw zero value in any of that crap. By the 1990s, I saw little of value being aired on TV, via Hollywood, or coming from Broadway. Truthfully, I found more entertainment value at what are called Gentlemen's Clubs given I was single and not looking for a mate. Let me back up just a tad and say I was a fan of George Lucas and "Star Wars" for I saw the depiction of the Outlaw US Empire with the multipolar world as the very diverse rebels with "The Force" providing a new metaphysical POV. Then came the Prequels with the first one introducing some excellent issues that mostly went over everyone's head. And in 1999 there was that first Matrix film which also opened the door to lots of discussion if one was bold enough. The retelling of the Tolkien Sagas was also good. Otherwise, I've stayed away from movies and TV and now only subscribe to SiriusXM and listen to the many music genres, which is far better therapy after dealing with world realities daily. I'm fortunate, but not a Fortunate Son, and now I need to refill my coffee.
I don't know Russia or its people, but in following the events there over the last 20 years I feel like I'm getting acquainted. I admit that I had concerns when the SMO started that Russia might be overwhelmed by the onslaught from US/NATO/EU/AUKUS/JP-SK countermoves, After all, that's a formidable foe - the greatest the world has ever seen. But Russia has shown amazing poise, preparation and resilience. I'm filled with admiration for what they've achieved.
I think NATO is overrated and Russia has been underrated. At the point that mediates between both assessments is the victory of Russia. The West is playing checkers on a chess board.
Good old unz review has quite a few gems in the queue as usual. So gym flies might hover over for a peek. Stay well all, this hectic geopolitical pace is keeping me fit these days ;)
I do love Vlad and I can see he clearly takes after Fidel Castro with his extraordinary dialogues.
Thank you for this post, I found it very interesting and touching. It made me think of the cadet corps in imperial times. Putin is forming a new kind of nobility.
Well, I wouldn’t call it “nobility.” More a managerial class capable of exercising good governance. That conclusion is based on much more than this one discussion. You read what he said at the end that participants are free to choose their own pathway.
Richard, you've beautifully covered some of the same ground as I've tried to below. Having dictated it off-line I was delighted to read your comments when I went to post mine.
***
Remarkable. For someone who's lived all their life in the west, their readiness to give themselves over to a larger purpose is almost shocking. It's also immensely touching.
This sort of spirit is like a force of nature . . . one that can be turned to creative, benevolent ends or to the opposite, as in Nazi Germany. In Russia today, I don't doubt it's a force for good.
Some of the reason may lie in the Russian soul, I don't begin to know enough to make that judgement. What I am confident of from observing Putin for many years is his relentless focus on encouraging strength and unity, but always underpinned by openness and humility. Again and again, he returns to the notion of Russia's multi-ethnic and multi-religious character and of the need to treat it with great care:
"As you know, we are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. But as long as we feel like one family, we are invincible, this is our strength, which no one can overcome. Nobody! And we must take care of this, treat it very carefully."
His deepest hope, I think, is that by the time he leaves the stage or dies, this core message, with all it entails, will have lodged so firmly that his absence won't matter.
Again, Karl, thank you, you do us a great service by bringing all these illustrations of what's happening behind the scenes.
However, it seems to me honour, like the willingness to devote oneself to a larger cause, can operate in many different milieus, not all of them benevolent. But yes, in pursuit of constructive goals, it's a powerful standard.
The only Code of Honor I know of is to advance the Good and to be alert for those wanting to subvert the Good. Advancing oneself at the expense of others goes against the Good. That was what was taught to me while coming of age in the USA of the 1960s--The Boy Scouts. Yet it became quite clear that the nation didn't really honor Honor or the pursuit of the Good.
Yes, all I had in mind was that definitions of "the good" are not fixed.
Codes of honour can therefore operate within organisations that very definitely don't represent the good, for example the triads or some fighting units of the SS or the Japanese in WWII.
I'm a bit short on time so I merely skimmed Mr. Putin's exchange with the graduates, but once again he demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities. He isn't waving his arms, giving orders to underlings. On the contrary, he's LISTENING. He invites feedback, criticism, and new ideas. This is the essence of a successful leader.
People call Mr. Putin a dictator or worse, but if so he's the canniest, most humble dictator that ever walked the earth. He wants to make things better for Russians - all Russians. But he doesn't pretend to have all the answers. Instead he's open to ideas on the best way to go about it. This in turn can't help but create loyalty and buy in. People genuinely feel like they're a part of the revival of their country.
When you look around the world at national leaders, you can't help but grade Mr. Putin in the 99th percentile.
And thus ongoing improvement or modernization as some might call it further strengthen and make Russia's system of governance and its civil society more efficient, thus more powerful in the sense of governance capability.
Putin behaves like the ringmaster in a multiple-ringed circus, enabling the coordinated performances of extraordinary acts. Or the conductor of massive orchestras producing harmony.
The governing principle is that of service to all the people - according to an explicit public service ethic.
Not a controller, dictator as in hierarchical governance, whether by monarchs, priests, militarists, merchants and their corporations and bankers, owners of communication outlets, secret cabals, or leaders elected through persuasive competitive discourse, in the fascistic model.
He’s obviously very good at it.
Xi seems similar. It’s a good basis for international mutualist interactions - the upcoming new world order.
And both Putin and Xi are surrounding themselves with like-minded contributors providing for seamless succession. And have begun to cleanse their countries of those in positions of power who have reneged on the public service ethic.
Yes, and many cynical Westerners don't understand that there are those who harbor the civil service ethos that has honor and duty at its core. The Liberal dicta within the USA has long been "go out and prove your own worth"; "Go West young man;" there's no need to stay at home and help with the greater family upkeep. Communal society versus individualist society. When you dig into the underlying cultures of China, Russia and other Eurasian nations, you'll discover there's a sharing of fundamental values. And horror of horrors for Western elites: There are some things that are more important than money that keep societies functional.
And that Honor is shared by many nations who never fought a major industrial war. The supposed female fascination with the man in uniform isn't the uniform; rather, it's the Honor that goes with donning the uniform, or at least that's how I was raised. Yes, like you I discovered that Honor was betrayed and used to advance Elite interests, but that still doesn't negate Honor's value.
Hollywood as "cult"ure manufacturer is true to a degree, but there was a time when high morals were displayed and very difficult cultural issues were aired on stage and in movies, 1948-1964 roughly. Then we entered the Era of the Spaghetti Westerns, the Man with No Name and movies that depicted the reality of the Outlaw US Empire--always for a Few Dollars More. Much can be learned from a deeper look into that film genre. Then we got into the darker Charles Bronson/Dirty Harry regime followed by the Gore movie genre of so-called horror films that I boycotted--I saw zero value in any of that crap. By the 1990s, I saw little of value being aired on TV, via Hollywood, or coming from Broadway. Truthfully, I found more entertainment value at what are called Gentlemen's Clubs given I was single and not looking for a mate. Let me back up just a tad and say I was a fan of George Lucas and "Star Wars" for I saw the depiction of the Outlaw US Empire with the multipolar world as the very diverse rebels with "The Force" providing a new metaphysical POV. Then came the Prequels with the first one introducing some excellent issues that mostly went over everyone's head. And in 1999 there was that first Matrix film which also opened the door to lots of discussion if one was bold enough. The retelling of the Tolkien Sagas was also good. Otherwise, I've stayed away from movies and TV and now only subscribe to SiriusXM and listen to the many music genres, which is far better therapy after dealing with world realities daily. I'm fortunate, but not a Fortunate Son, and now I need to refill my coffee.
Russia had already won long before the Special Military Operation began, those who did not know it do not know Russia and the Russian people. - Z - ✌🏽
I don't know Russia or its people, but in following the events there over the last 20 years I feel like I'm getting acquainted. I admit that I had concerns when the SMO started that Russia might be overwhelmed by the onslaught from US/NATO/EU/AUKUS/JP-SK countermoves, After all, that's a formidable foe - the greatest the world has ever seen. But Russia has shown amazing poise, preparation and resilience. I'm filled with admiration for what they've achieved.
I think NATO is overrated and Russia has been underrated. At the point that mediates between both assessments is the victory of Russia. The West is playing checkers on a chess board.
Just a tad divergent from topic but entirely relevant: https://www.unz.com/ishamir/why-do-brits-hate-russians/
Good old unz review has quite a few gems in the queue as usual. So gym flies might hover over for a peek. Stay well all, this hectic geopolitical pace is keeping me fit these days ;)
I do love Vlad and I can see he clearly takes after Fidel Castro with his extraordinary dialogues.
Thank you for this post, I found it very interesting and touching. It made me think of the cadet corps in imperial times. Putin is forming a new kind of nobility.
Well, I wouldn’t call it “nobility.” More a managerial class capable of exercising good governance. That conclusion is based on much more than this one discussion. You read what he said at the end that participants are free to choose their own pathway.
Richard, you've beautifully covered some of the same ground as I've tried to below. Having dictated it off-line I was delighted to read your comments when I went to post mine.
***
Remarkable. For someone who's lived all their life in the west, their readiness to give themselves over to a larger purpose is almost shocking. It's also immensely touching.
This sort of spirit is like a force of nature . . . one that can be turned to creative, benevolent ends or to the opposite, as in Nazi Germany. In Russia today, I don't doubt it's a force for good.
Some of the reason may lie in the Russian soul, I don't begin to know enough to make that judgement. What I am confident of from observing Putin for many years is his relentless focus on encouraging strength and unity, but always underpinned by openness and humility. Again and again, he returns to the notion of Russia's multi-ethnic and multi-religious character and of the need to treat it with great care:
"As you know, we are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. But as long as we feel like one family, we are invincible, this is our strength, which no one can overcome. Nobody! And we must take care of this, treat it very carefully."
His deepest hope, I think, is that by the time he leaves the stage or dies, this core message, with all it entails, will have lodged so firmly that his absence won't matter.
Again, Karl, thank you, you do us a great service by bringing all these illustrations of what's happening behind the scenes.
In a word: Honor.
Honour, yes, certainly.
However, it seems to me honour, like the willingness to devote oneself to a larger cause, can operate in many different milieus, not all of them benevolent. But yes, in pursuit of constructive goals, it's a powerful standard.
The only Code of Honor I know of is to advance the Good and to be alert for those wanting to subvert the Good. Advancing oneself at the expense of others goes against the Good. That was what was taught to me while coming of age in the USA of the 1960s--The Boy Scouts. Yet it became quite clear that the nation didn't really honor Honor or the pursuit of the Good.
Yes, all I had in mind was that definitions of "the good" are not fixed.
Codes of honour can therefore operate within organisations that very definitely don't represent the good, for example the triads or some fighting units of the SS or the Japanese in WWII.
Could the contrast berween this approach and the workings of the US Veterans Administration be any more stark?