Yale history professor and authority on totalitarian systems Timothy Snyder talked about Putin's end game in Ukraine on MSNBC last night, and had this prediction on how the war might end:
"When Putin talks about denazification, he doesn't mean getting rid of Nazis. What he means is 'I, the dictator, have the right to say what the word Nazi means.' By denazification, he means getting rid of any Ukrainians who are willing to resist anything he tries to do. He means destroying the state and destroying the nation. So, he's reached the depths of schizo-fascism. But he's operationalized this to mean he has the right to determine when this war will be over. It will only be over when Ukraine is so humiliated that it's willing to accept his characterization of it. And, of course, the Ukrainians are not going to do that. So, we're in for a very long struggle. Unless Mr. Putin himself starts to feel that his power might be threatened. I think that's the moment where this might start to change." (our emphasis)
Putin's ideological northstar appears to be early Russian political philosopher Ivan Ilyin (1883 - 1954 ), who would be referred to today as a "Christofascist" and conspiracy theorist, an extreme nationalist with clear fascist leanings. Snyder points out later in the linked video that Putin touched on pseudo-Christian themes in his Astroturf rally in Moscow recently, equating dying for Russia as a form of religious redemption.
With Putin locking away former members of his inner circle, and cracking down on the media and demonstrations, he may already be hearing footsteps behind him. Losing 5 Russian army generals in the first month of the war won't endear him to top Russian brass. But, as his own people face economic ruin and isolation, he will exact a horrendous toll on the people of Ukraine for defying him first.
(photo: Ilyin and Putin. Wikimedia Commons)
