You need a PLUS account to view this content. Try one month of PLUS for FREE.
Already have an account? log in
Comrades In Moscow
Wang Yi got his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say Putin got his meeting with Wang.
I can't emphasize this enough: China's "no-limits" strategic partnership with Russia isn't no-limits, and it's not a "partnership" either. To the extent it is a partnership, it isn't one of equals.
The tendency for media outlets to include Putin's Russia in tales of "great power" struggles overlooks the fact that if you strip away the nukes and the energy, Russia is a
I wonder if Putin is trying to smooth the way for his post-Ukraine war life. Maybe he’s positioning himself vis-à-vis China, so he has something to do and retain some relevance after leaving the presidency of Russia. Putin could potentially serve as an advisor or liaison in Russian relations with China, though not an ambassador (which is not his thing).
If the Russian government continues to fail in economically cooperating with the west after the war by continuing to regard the west as an enemy, it will further undermine its own economy, which is already crippled by the war. Ironically, Russia is slowly, actually becoming a regional power, as Obama mistakenly referred to Russia during his presidency.
‘I’m back in the U.S.S.R.
You don’t know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the U.S.S.R.
– Paul Mccarthey, John Lennon (not Lenin)
I feel like it’s groundhog day-the movie. Russia, China, Poland, Turkey are aspiring to their empires of long ago, maybe others too. Mussolini referenced the Roman empire. This may be the dumbest form or populism ever. Personally, I’d rather be rich than have a rich fantasy life….
That Rich Fantasy Life can easily be delivered, without raising taxes or imperiling the recent tax cuts.
Remember how we mocked Nero for trying to distract the populace with games and events in the coliseum? Last week the WSJ ran a story titled “Gambling Revenue Hit a Record Last Year.” Better than turning to opiods, but a symptom of the same angst.