Listened to Pod Save America this morning. They noted that Putin is recent years is

[themaguffin]

more isolated.

They said that a decade ago he consulted with a somewhat diverse group of advisers.

The group got smaller and more hardline and since the pandemic, not really a group anymore.

That is even more disturbing.

[cilla4progress]

1. What is the chance

They can be taken out?

Maybe by his own people?

And why would the Army follow his orders?

Maybe some Generals in the group...

[themaguffin]

10. I mean coups (or attempted coups) are a part of their history, so who maybe?

There seems to be an open backlash on the streets of Russia.

[Chainfire]

12. Perhaps his Army remembers what happened to Stalin's Army.

[dchill]

2. I wonder if he's an anti-vaxxer.

[themaguffin]

3. I don't know but the way they said, it sounds like he does or did fear covid (I think)

[blm]

5. He actually is an extreme social distancer since Covid.

[dchill]

7. That's why I'm wondering.

He seems exceptionally paranoid on the subject. It's possible his paranoia has taken over his life. Now everybody's life!

[themaguffin]

11. Yeah, not a good situation in any way.

[Wicked Blue]

6. He shouldn't take ivermectin

It kills parasites

so it would be fatal

[durablend]

4. Does this seem to *anyone else* like a certain other person we know?

All these parallels people keep posting.

[dchill]

8. Yep. Two turds in a punchbowl.

[ChicagoRonin]

9. What goes around comes around

The way I see it, one of the basic failings of humans is that we almost always interpret other people and the world around us in our own terms. It makes sense, on the surface, the human we know best is ourselves. Why shouldn't others think the way we do?

However, that can go wrong in a multitude of ways.

Putin is a man who has spent his entire career climbing the rungs of power through patience, deception, dirty tricks and assassination. That's not just what he does, but who he is. And it's clear that he believes in creating deception, confusion and making others distrust each other.

Problem is, you spend a lifetime doing that, you probably start to assume that's how everyone around you acts. Even in relation to you.