The Off Topic Topic

[Valmy]

For all his faults he's good at the politics game.

You probably cannot crawl to the top of the Russian gangster heap without skills.

[The Brain]

What I still can't comprehend is how open far-right politicians everywhere are at courting hostile foreign dictator.  It's like they're all falling over themselves going "I'm not a useful idiot, I'm a lot more than just useful".

They are indeed not useful idiots. They are ideologically committed to oppression. Just like the Europeans who sucked Soviet cock back in the day.

[alfred russel]

For all his faults he's good at the politics game.

But his country sucks and he has a bunch of sanctions on it.

[alfred russel]

Start climbing the Matterhorn tomorrow am. If you don't here from me again, check the newspapers to see if some fellow from Atlanta fell off.

[Valmy]

For all his faults he's good at the politics game.

But his country sucks and he has a bunch of sanctions on it.

The fact that Russia sucks ass is something that Putin's admirers tend to skirt around, that is true.

[grumbler]

Start climbing the Matterhorn tomorrow am. If you don't here from me again, check the newspapers to see if some fellow from Atlanta fell off.

GL 

[alfred russel]

For all his faults he's good at the politics game.

But his country sucks and he has a bunch of sanctions on it.

The fact that Russia sucks ass is something that Putin's admirers tend to skirt around, that is true.

I guess there are a few metrics that you can judge a politician, as a politician :

Is he good for his country? In Putin's case, his country is shitty. Arguably not his fault as Russia is working on a multi century losing streak.

Is he domestically popular? Putin is, but so are a lot of post communist strongmen.

Is he internationally successful? Here is I think the meat of what Hvc was getting at. His biggest pro is that he has cultivated a far right following around the world. That is offset by crippling international sanctions. Just look at the us: some contend he fixed the us election to bring in trump, but almost two years later the us continues sanctions against Russia.

[Zanza]

Start climbing the Matterhorn tomorrow am. If you don't here from me again, check the newspapers to see if some fellow from Atlanta fell off.

Good luck and have fun!

[Jacob]

My favourite Chinese food commercial in recent times: https://youtu.be/Yg1V54WjjWI

[Tamas]

What I still can't comprehend is how open far-right politicians everywhere are at courting hostile foreign dictator.  It's like they're all falling over themselves going "I'm not a useful idiot, I'm a lot more than just useful".

IIRC there was a global man-crush of far-right politicians on  Hitler. It must be their submissive homoerotic yearnings.

[Duque de Bragança]

What I still can't comprehend is how open far-right politicians everywhere are at courting hostile foreign dictator.  It's like they're all falling over themselves going "I'm not a useful idiot, I'm a lot more than just useful".

IIRC there was a global man-crush of far-right politicians on  Hitler. It must be their submissive homoerotic yearnings.

Putin is even more skilled at playing the extremes for his benefit. Far-left types also like him for some reason too,"resistance to US imperialism", though and turn a blind eye to the "drawbacks" of his régime.

[derspiess]

My favourite Chinese food commercial in recent times: https://youtu.be/Yg1V54WjjWI

Pretty epic commercial, obvious cultural appropriation aside.

[garbon]

My favourite Chinese food commercial in recent times: https://youtu.be/Yg1V54WjjWI

Pretty epic commercial, obvious cultural appropriation aside.

That term doesn't mean what you are pretending it to mean.

[derspiess]

Okay, maybe not epic.  But pretty darn cool.

[Jacob]