Why does Putin poison disidents

Poison is generally seen as deeply sinister, it means there was premeditation, stealth, and a complete disinterest in fair play. The message is "mess with us and you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your days, and we don't have any moral qualms with getting to you however we can". It only works for power structures that openly use intimidation rather than hearts/minds as their source of power

It's clean and the most effective way to assassinate that humans have been practicing for thousands of years, rather than doing something messy.

Yeah it's less controversial than being attacked by 6 guys with a bone saw at the embassy.

so much easier to create confusion then direct kinetic violence

who did it? when? where? did he really do it or was it someone trying to point a finger at him? wouldnt novichok be too obvious? or is it a masterful deception?

Lack of money to pay for guns

I'm not sure your meaning entirely, but it appears as a very certain way to create more dissidents. However, there might be more in the idea than in appearance, if a leader wants to keep a state in a perpetual state of war, he needs to breed contempt and fear.

I think Putin wants them to suffer. Also, it strikes fear into anyone else who might be thinking of crossing him.

what ever way vlad the bad does it that is assassination and murder . maybe it is more effective hard too trace🤷‍♂️ [spotpot]

It’s a guaranteed and secret way of killing them. It breeds fear and uncertainty.

Its a message and a Russian thing. Don't expect logic behind.

He’s old school KGB, and that’s a very old school KGB thing to do

Because the KGB taught him that way.

Tradition and his KGB background?

He’s Russian