DEAR MR PUTIN : A LETTER FROM A FRIEND

I really do love you Vladimir Vladimirovich. Your delivery of Russia from chaos has been a great achievement. And you have established yourself as a great man.

But you value stability more than eliminating corruption. And this is why, if you do not ‘pivot’ from your current strategy, you will fail.

I want a restored and strong Russia. I think the future of my people and your people depend upon a stronger Russia and a weaker America.

But people cannot follow you if you have nothing to offer. People will not follow china, because it has nothing to offer.

Russia can offer one thing: the path to eliminating corruption for the rest of the world.

If you want to restore your empire, then the total destruction of the corruption that is endemic to the eastern peoples must be placed above your territorial ambitions.

If you eliminate corruption you will not need to work to restore your empire. It will be a force of gravity. If you do not work to eliminate corruption, you will continue to repel the people and generate discontent.

Curt Doolittle
Kiev

also from Curt:

PUTIN OVERPLAYED HIS HAND

US State Department has the spin going, it’s good spin, and someone got the right talking points to the president. Best tactic for Putin is “self determination without chaos”. And just wait. Fear of looking weak might drive him to push the Crimean issue, and then try to split the country under ‘self determination’. My gut is that as long as the protesters hold out for resignation of the president, then unity will prevail. Very interesting.

Scared as hell the past few days but it’s such a privilege to be here and see people topple a corrupt government.