Putin stuck in the past

Now we can see the true colors of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Once a KGB man, always one. In his eyes, the Cold War continues. The old Soviet Union’s ambitions are hegemony and domination collapsed, but Putin still dreams of delivering anew a world superpower.

The times have changed since Stalin’s obsessions with control and subjugation of millions of fellow human beings ended in complete fiasco. Doesn’t Putin learn from the events of history?

There is disarray all over the globe. Irrational terror cells await an opportunity to unleash violence and inflict suffering. Countless Syrians are murdered daily, and the unrest in Egypt and other parts of North Africa tests international resolve.

In Putin’s own country, alcoholism flourishes and corruption is rampant. Instead of working together with the United States, Putin seeks to undermine East-West cooperation by providing refuge to a fugitive from the law. He selects a simpleton in the form of Edward Snowden, seeking his own 15 minutes of fame, in an attempt to disrupt an already shaky world order.

Hopefully, we will not be manipulated by the philosophy and tactics of a former communist who doesn’t have a clue about how a free society functions.

Halina Slobodow

Spokane