Plutarch-2014: why Obama looks pale
Ancient authors had no doubt that a key role in stories plays a personality. However, for some reason we do not want to admit it. The problem is probably that for a long time we were in captivity of Marxist-Tolstoy historiography and considered “unscientific” conversations about the influence of key characters (political leaders and their advisers) on the course of world events. But the current era is the best demonstrates the importance of the personal factor. If Plutarch were our contemporary, he, it seems, would not deny himself the pleasure of creating a comparative life story of Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin - politicians, from the psychological characteristics of which the further course of history depends.
Now, when the illegitimate Ukrainian government conducts the shelling of Slavyansk, and the West threatens to impose "paralyzing" sanctions against Russia, many have already managed to forget about what happened this fall.
But in order to understand the essence of the events, it is necessary to recognize: the Ukrainian drama did not start in the Donetsk steppes and not even on the Kiev Maidan. It began in Washington at the very moment when Obama refused to direct military intervention in Syria. In the world, this was perceived as an important diplomatic victory for Vladimir Putin. The key states, on which, in the opinion of political scientists, the world order of the 21st century will depend, then made fun of the leader of the United States and spoke with undisguised admiration about his Russian counterpart.
A narcissist American who hates when someone puts him up with a limp weak-willed man harbored a grudge. And, according to a number of observers, he vowed to settle accounts with Putin, who so easily and naturally managed to beat him, taking the place of the main character on the world stage.
For Obama's star disease, this was a real blow. “Despite the fact that many are now talking about a successful resolution of the Syrian crisis, in reality the situation is only confused, and the main problem here is not even in the geopolitical confrontation of the“ great powers ”, but in the psychology of the leaders. Obama is used to acting as the ruler of New Rome and will not tolerate competition. He has a narcissistic personality type. Recall his pursed lips, crossed arms, offended naughty facial expression. American presidents have never looked like this - it looks more like stubborn youths and newly minted provincial teachers. And, most likely, we will see how he will scold “the careless student” Putin, who dared to challenge him, ”wrote The American Thinker in October.
Well, in any case, Obama honestly tried to crack Putin. Let us recall the shots on which he, pursing his lips, threatens Russia with “retribution”. “The American president, apparently, has a vengeful nature,” writes an Alternet correspondent, “and at the time of Putin’s triumph at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, he decided to conduct a special operation in Kiev. As a result of the coup d'etat, Moscow had to completely lose influence in Ukraine, which for centuries was an organic part of the Russian Empire. However, Putin did not agree with this scenario, achieved the annexation of the Crimea and provided moral support to the insurgent regions of the South-East. And in the eyes of the world, Obama, despite all his efforts, once again proved to be the loser, and Putin the winner. ”
Sanctions do not work. In the West, formed the pro-Russian lobby. Rogozin introduces "space sanctions" against the United States, meaning for the number one power humiliation and loss of reputation. And the American president looks more and more ridiculous. Observers in East Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States themselves do not hide the irony. “How can we compare today's Putin’s actions in Crimea with events in Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan?” - Writes the American philosopher Noam Chomsky. - What right does the West, which attacked Iraq and occupied it, bombed Afghanistan, provoked the dismemberment of Yugoslavia and recognized Kosovo’s independence, protest, resent and even impose sanctions on Russia for what happened in Crimea, where, as far as I know, was the massacre, ethnic cleansing and violence? "
But Obama, who has long advocated a rationalistic approach to foreign policy, is not ready to listen to the arguments of his opponents this time. After all, he was spat upon, humiliated, smeared on the wall. And more than once. And three times in a row. Initially, in the Syrian issue, when Washington clutched at Putin’s proposal to eliminate the chemical arsenals weapons. Then, when, in response to the coup sponsored by the Americans in Kiev, Putin sent troops to the Crimean peninsula. Finally, at that moment, when the world began to realize that the uprising in the South-East of Ukraine was not the work of terrorist gangs supported by the Kremlin, but a powerful popular movement against the nationalist government in Kiev.
Political poker between Putin and Obama is perceived in the world unequivocally: the American president loses game after game, but being a gambler, each time only increases the stakes in the game. It is almost impossible to stop this process, since the two leaders have practically no points of contact. Putin lives in the real world, Obama - in the idealistic. Putin upholds conservative, in fact, values; Obama has long been an icon of postmodern.
Therefore, modern Ukraine is, among other things, also the place of the postmodern collision with real politics.
And the postmodern in the face of Obama looks, sorry for playing on words, palely.
Now, when the illegitimate Ukrainian government conducts the shelling of Slavyansk, and the West threatens to impose "paralyzing" sanctions against Russia, many have already managed to forget about what happened this fall.
But in order to understand the essence of the events, it is necessary to recognize: the Ukrainian drama did not start in the Donetsk steppes and not even on the Kiev Maidan. It began in Washington at the very moment when Obama refused to direct military intervention in Syria. In the world, this was perceived as an important diplomatic victory for Vladimir Putin. The key states, on which, in the opinion of political scientists, the world order of the 21st century will depend, then made fun of the leader of the United States and spoke with undisguised admiration about his Russian counterpart.
A narcissist American who hates when someone puts him up with a limp weak-willed man harbored a grudge. And, according to a number of observers, he vowed to settle accounts with Putin, who so easily and naturally managed to beat him, taking the place of the main character on the world stage.
For Obama's star disease, this was a real blow. “Despite the fact that many are now talking about a successful resolution of the Syrian crisis, in reality the situation is only confused, and the main problem here is not even in the geopolitical confrontation of the“ great powers ”, but in the psychology of the leaders. Obama is used to acting as the ruler of New Rome and will not tolerate competition. He has a narcissistic personality type. Recall his pursed lips, crossed arms, offended naughty facial expression. American presidents have never looked like this - it looks more like stubborn youths and newly minted provincial teachers. And, most likely, we will see how he will scold “the careless student” Putin, who dared to challenge him, ”wrote The American Thinker in October.
Well, in any case, Obama honestly tried to crack Putin. Let us recall the shots on which he, pursing his lips, threatens Russia with “retribution”. “The American president, apparently, has a vengeful nature,” writes an Alternet correspondent, “and at the time of Putin’s triumph at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, he decided to conduct a special operation in Kiev. As a result of the coup d'etat, Moscow had to completely lose influence in Ukraine, which for centuries was an organic part of the Russian Empire. However, Putin did not agree with this scenario, achieved the annexation of the Crimea and provided moral support to the insurgent regions of the South-East. And in the eyes of the world, Obama, despite all his efforts, once again proved to be the loser, and Putin the winner. ”
Sanctions do not work. In the West, formed the pro-Russian lobby. Rogozin introduces "space sanctions" against the United States, meaning for the number one power humiliation and loss of reputation. And the American president looks more and more ridiculous. Observers in East Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States themselves do not hide the irony. “How can we compare today's Putin’s actions in Crimea with events in Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan?” - Writes the American philosopher Noam Chomsky. - What right does the West, which attacked Iraq and occupied it, bombed Afghanistan, provoked the dismemberment of Yugoslavia and recognized Kosovo’s independence, protest, resent and even impose sanctions on Russia for what happened in Crimea, where, as far as I know, was the massacre, ethnic cleansing and violence? "
But Obama, who has long advocated a rationalistic approach to foreign policy, is not ready to listen to the arguments of his opponents this time. After all, he was spat upon, humiliated, smeared on the wall. And more than once. And three times in a row. Initially, in the Syrian issue, when Washington clutched at Putin’s proposal to eliminate the chemical arsenals weapons. Then, when, in response to the coup sponsored by the Americans in Kiev, Putin sent troops to the Crimean peninsula. Finally, at that moment, when the world began to realize that the uprising in the South-East of Ukraine was not the work of terrorist gangs supported by the Kremlin, but a powerful popular movement against the nationalist government in Kiev.
Political poker between Putin and Obama is perceived in the world unequivocally: the American president loses game after game, but being a gambler, each time only increases the stakes in the game. It is almost impossible to stop this process, since the two leaders have practically no points of contact. Putin lives in the real world, Obama - in the idealistic. Putin upholds conservative, in fact, values; Obama has long been an icon of postmodern.
Therefore, modern Ukraine is, among other things, also the place of the postmodern collision with real politics.
And the postmodern in the face of Obama looks, sorry for playing on words, palely.
Information