pcr speaks of a weakness all of us have but few recognize. one of his is doctrow's opinions that are opposed by many others;

 

 It Seems That No World Ruler Can Accept Reality or Even Is Aware of It

 

Paul Craig Roberts

Trump and Netanyahu are not the only politicians who have trapped themselves in a war to their electoral disadvantage.  The two are joined at the hip not only in purpose but in stupidity.  The two stooges overestimated their military prowess and underestimated Iran’s.  If Iran had kept to its vow and not agreed to a ceasefire at Israel and Washington’s request, Iran’s victory would be complete. Instead, Iran faces a possible renewal of a war that it had almost won.

But, alas, bad judgement again prevailed in Iran, and we are left with a smoldering war from which there is no easy “victory” exit for Trump and Netanyahu, both of whom face elections this autumn.

Putin also faces elections, not for himself but for the Duma or legislative body.  If memory serves, the way the Russian system works is that the party or coalition that prevails in the election choses the ministers in the government over which the president presides.  At the moment, due to Putin’s never-ending war and support for his central banker’s 20% interest rates, Putin’s party, United Russia, stands at the same level of support, according to polls, as the Communist Party.

The Russian Communist Party is no longer communist in the original sense.  What, I think, the Communist Party has going for it is two things: One is that Russians remember that the communists leaders, such as Lenin and Stalin, were decisive and would not accept humiliations from the West as is Putin’s wont.  The other is that the communist party is not a protector of billionaire oligarchs and 20% interest rates which are helping oligarchs monopolize the Russian economy by squeezing out less capitalized companies. It is entirely possible that the Communist Party has accepted private property and a market economy and would better represent the Russian people than United Russia...........more...........