ON RUSSIA: FROM A NATION OF PUSHKIN AND TOLSTOY TO ONE OF PUTIN AND THUGGERY

Like most, since its beginning I have been following closely the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. After allegedly murdering his own citizens and stealing as much as $100 billion from the treasury, their fiendishly corrupt President, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia in late February. Within a few days hooligans began violently intimidating the people of Crimea, especially the Ukrainian military stationed there.

Always wearing masks and acting like bullies, these "pro-Russian separatists" exhibited military tactics, weapons and unmarked uniforms that looked surprisingly like the Russian military. Pushing, shoving, and threatening their way through the Crimean peninsula, they took over Ukrainian military bases and towns.

Their demeanor gave the word "thug" new life and meaning.  On TV we were watching, without a doubt, men with no other intention than intimidation of the populace.

I began to wonder more about this phenomenon. How does a nation that gave the world Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, Alexander Borodin, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, produce drunkards and bullies like Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin? Where does Russia find men who will don masks and invade their next-door neighbor? Then, I remembered a series of letters I received in January from a close friend who was visiting Asia.

No ordinary traveler, this is a man who is a retired Professor of French and Modern European History at a New York university, who now calls Paris, France, his home. His words, written to me when he was staying on Kho Lanta Island in Thailand, speak volumes.

"Just a word more on the Russians who have decided to invade the sunny beaches of the Andaman sea...there is some link between the gimme mentality and their behavior. These yoyos were born at the latest under Gorbachev. They don’t know from camps, war, starvation. Most of them have lived their lives under Yeltsin and Putin. They are the NEP [New Economic Policy] men of the late 20^th early 21^st century. And they know no shame, no decency, no gentleness, no politeness.

Two examples. The hotel in Phi Phi and here in Lanta are the only places in all of Thailand that I visited, and that’s more than 13 hotels, that do a room check before letting you check out. Th[ey] have posted how much [it costs] for articles missing—including toilets, toilet seats and sinks! Talk about vandals.

These same hotels cursed by a Russian clientele are the only ones who leave no beverages in the fridge and no bags of nuts and other goodies that the client is expected to fess up to having used before leaving. 

If they could nail down the towels they would. I saw six of these bozos, all [of] 25 [years of age] or so, having paid their vacation to Phi Phi refuse to give the lady running the look out—highest point nice view—20 Bahts. There are 34 [Baht] to $1 [USD]. Talk about shame. Yeah I know all nationalities grouped together as tourists are horrible.... But these Russians are the worst. And it cannot be blamed on the Reds. 

So now that the cold war is over, let us bring back the iron curtain and put these people behind it. Only disgrace can come out of letting them roam."

Other letters from my friend spoke of Russians filling the bars, drinking until they either passed out or were thrown out for unruliness and foul language. His closing recommendation above, regarding a return of the Iron Curtain, just might occur in the near future. 

The thuggish Vladimir Putin, who loves to prance around shirtless like his fellow Russians visiting Thailand, leads this rabble. He supports their beating of women, like Pussy Riot. He is proud of his anti-gay rhetoric and his country's anti-gay propaganda. Though he talks about ending corruption, I think the only corruption he aims to end is the corruption that does not flow directly into his pocket.

Strobe Talbott, former Deputy Secretary of State and now President of the Brookings Institution, in an interview with Katty Kay of the BBC, explained that Putin was forced from the KGB for his lack of an ability to avoid risk. Talbott explained that despite his quick rise to Lieutenant Colonel, the KGB thought Putin too dangerous to promote further.

In an interview with al Jazeera, the Brookings Institution leader said Putin is an advocate of the "big lie." He certainly showed that in Crimea. Before the formal annexation Putin said no Russian troops were in Crimea fomenting riot. Last week he announced that, in fact, they were.

Perhaps the funniest comment by Talbott, who among his other accomplishments is also a Russian expert, was the one he posted on his Twitter account.  It said, "perhaps, just to break the ice, Obama should solemnly promise Putin that he won't have to have sex with a gay guy."

That might work. But, I think NATO troops, maybe a couple of battalions, should be invited by the Ukrainian government to conduct joint exercises in western Ukraine (west of the Dnieper River) to offset the Russian exercise on the eastern Ukraine border.

Rather than wear masks, the NATO troops should go shirtless. Risk-taking bullies only stop when someone stronger shows them how stupid they look and act.

NOTE: CBS News has reported that Vladimir Putin requested eastern Ukraine "pro-Russia" groups not to hold referenda on May 11th. The Guardian is reporting they are ignoring Putin's request. He also said he was pulling his troops from the Ukraine border. NATO and U.S. officials say they have no evidence of any movement of troops by Russia. The essence of this blog is not likely affected by this action.