What do OTBallers think of Vladimir Putin?

Like or Dislike?



I have extremely mixed views on him and Russia

THINGS I LIKE
1.A. His public persona: Does cool shite, acts like a boss, is funny.

1.B. He's tough on Islamic Terror and Pirates, see Syria, Dagestan, and Chechnya...we arrest Somali Pirates and take years to try them, the Russian Navy just kills them.

1.C. He's staunchly Christian and conservative

THINGS I DON'T LIKE
2.A. He's Russian, I just generally don't trust those bastards.

2.B. Domestic political opinions aside, he's interfering in foreign countries' elections including ours. I do not believe Russia has any significant ties with any party or (significant) politician here or in Europe but that isn't the plan, rather they seek to divide us and get us arguing so we're not able to counter their geopolitical moves and it's working really well both here and across the pond.

I realize that this is going to trigger some people but the fact that the Russians have interjected themselves into Western elections isn't really in question, the debate and investigations are about the degree to which they did and if they were in league with anyone here and I'm not arguing that they were, just that they did it to frick with us.

2.C. He's generally anti-American and expansionist. He presses irredentist claims just like Hitler; see Georgia, Crimea, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, etc.


I have pictures but didn't want to throw off the above text so here:

1.A. Putin being a badass



1.B. Putin being tough on Terror


1.C. Putin, a man of God

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2.A. General Russia Fears



2.B. Election Meddling


2.C. Aggresive Expansionism