MANICHAEAN
11-20-2014, 03:19 AM
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. THE SEQUEL.
The Russian leader sat motionless with eye contact minimal; but when on occasion, it was unexpectedly and covertly discerned; there was revealed in that look, two visual corridors of raw formality and disturbing cunning. It was akin a glance that fleetingly absorbed all but led one’s understanding nowhere. The body language was equally difficult to understand; an outwardly composed, yet restrained air of confidence, derived perhaps from his official status and insight into his own competence. And yet, there was something more.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich,” asked his Economics Minister, “It is imperative that we get sanctions lifted. A recession is imminent, inflation is getting out of hand and the ruble and oil are in freefall.”
“Do you, Alexei Valentinovich know how to do that?” was the cold response.
“ No, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” replied the Economy Minister, “I’m not a politician. I can only lay before you the current financial state of Russia.”
The assembled team left the presidential mansion situated just outside of Moscow, both subdued and deflated. They were only too aware of the way Putin had to date; ruthlessly subdued Chechnya, crushed Georgia, annexed Crimea and by a process of almost legerdermain subversion was currently invading the Ukraine.
To the gentleman in question, the fall of the USSR had been the ultimate humilation to one nurtured in the nursery of KGB intrigue and suckled on exercising power in an all prevading dominence of a Soviet empire, acquired either as spoils of war, or by bullying and underminding neighbours, at the time too weak to resist.
He sat and his thoughts were assembled like so many chess pieces.
“The stakes were high but he had thumbed his nose at them all and made them at least sit up and take note, even display a grudging respect for Mother Russia.
Deny all charges and accusations, but at the same time indulge in mind games backed up by a fresco deployment of military might; a submarine in Swedish waters, bomber run exercises in international air space, even war ships off the coast of an international conference he was attending in Australia.
That last one was a touch of international macissmo if ever there was one!”
All in all, he was enjoying himself. Some guys just like to play the baddy.
He allowed himself a smile remembering when at another conference in Italy he had deliberately arrived late for the official dinner, but left early on some pretext to attend an all night party held by Silvio Bellesconi.
“We had a lot in common, we two when it came to attitude” he reflected.
“So what next?
What can I do to wrong foot them all again?”
It suddenly came to him.
“He would propose rebuilding the Berlin Wall.
He would set out the argument that what the East German people really desired was to regain their freedom under Russian rule, and it was the United States and the European Union that was forcing his hand for the erection of the wall.
Construction for the new wall would be targeted to begin on the 1st of January 2015, with hopes that it would be completed by the 10th November 2015, in time for the anniversary of its collapse twenty-five years prior.
That would hold their attention for Christmas and the New Year.
Who’s your daddy?”
The Russian leader sat motionless with eye contact minimal; but when on occasion, it was unexpectedly and covertly discerned; there was revealed in that look, two visual corridors of raw formality and disturbing cunning. It was akin a glance that fleetingly absorbed all but led one’s understanding nowhere. The body language was equally difficult to understand; an outwardly composed, yet restrained air of confidence, derived perhaps from his official status and insight into his own competence. And yet, there was something more.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich,” asked his Economics Minister, “It is imperative that we get sanctions lifted. A recession is imminent, inflation is getting out of hand and the ruble and oil are in freefall.”
“Do you, Alexei Valentinovich know how to do that?” was the cold response.
“ No, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” replied the Economy Minister, “I’m not a politician. I can only lay before you the current financial state of Russia.”
The assembled team left the presidential mansion situated just outside of Moscow, both subdued and deflated. They were only too aware of the way Putin had to date; ruthlessly subdued Chechnya, crushed Georgia, annexed Crimea and by a process of almost legerdermain subversion was currently invading the Ukraine.
To the gentleman in question, the fall of the USSR had been the ultimate humilation to one nurtured in the nursery of KGB intrigue and suckled on exercising power in an all prevading dominence of a Soviet empire, acquired either as spoils of war, or by bullying and underminding neighbours, at the time too weak to resist.
He sat and his thoughts were assembled like so many chess pieces.
“The stakes were high but he had thumbed his nose at them all and made them at least sit up and take note, even display a grudging respect for Mother Russia.
Deny all charges and accusations, but at the same time indulge in mind games backed up by a fresco deployment of military might; a submarine in Swedish waters, bomber run exercises in international air space, even war ships off the coast of an international conference he was attending in Australia.
That last one was a touch of international macissmo if ever there was one!”
All in all, he was enjoying himself. Some guys just like to play the baddy.
He allowed himself a smile remembering when at another conference in Italy he had deliberately arrived late for the official dinner, but left early on some pretext to attend an all night party held by Silvio Bellesconi.
“We had a lot in common, we two when it came to attitude” he reflected.
“So what next?
What can I do to wrong foot them all again?”
It suddenly came to him.
“He would propose rebuilding the Berlin Wall.
He would set out the argument that what the East German people really desired was to regain their freedom under Russian rule, and it was the United States and the European Union that was forcing his hand for the erection of the wall.
Construction for the new wall would be targeted to begin on the 1st of January 2015, with hopes that it would be completed by the 10th November 2015, in time for the anniversary of its collapse twenty-five years prior.
That would hold their attention for Christmas and the New Year.
Who’s your daddy?”