The OP is thinking the problem is American gullibility when the problem - and here we are talking about the press problem to which the OP referred - is that Putin doesn't even care enough to spin this thing properly.
That, to me, is evidence he's a dangerously self-involved thug who will make misjudgments like this because he long ago stopped caring what people think of him.
Political leaders really, really should care what people think of them. It's kinda their job.
Putin is acting as a General, not a President/Premier/Prime Minister/Populist Peronist Political Person.
On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 12:23 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
>
> On Aug 14, 2008, at 3:07 PM, boddi satva wrote:
>
>> So nothing. So he took a thuggish gambit and he's getting slaughtered
>> in the press.
>
> Why should he care what the American press says? George Bush is huffing and
> puffing too, but he can't really do a damn thing either. Meanwhile, the
> Russians are less likely to support the U.S. on Iran.
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