Animal farm and 1984 are warnings against allowing autocratic leaders to make decisions for society.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow If you can put aside your personal grievances for a second (or two), all these people are dictators and each of them can't seem to get enough power to fill the gaping hole inside of them. Each of them have personal interests that take centre stage while pushing away national, community, or citizen interests. So, that's the bond of commonality.

You may recall from world history (or perhaps you can refresh yourself) that the British Empire was (unfairly) targeted and perhaps hated for leading the way to the modern world we enjoy today. Thankfully, that didn't stop them. The USA has simply picked up the baton to move the world closer... sometimes kicking and screaming... to the next milestones despite the likes of Putin and his band of diversity brothers trying to get in the way.

@MarkPaul Umm no. Your basic premise is false but well learned American brainwashing.


And you are following that up by writing apologia for one of the most brutal and criminal empires in history.

You are right the Us did continue that legacy. But that is nothing to be proud of.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, I'm not exactly or technically apologizing for the brutality of history. But, I think as adults with street smarts we can acknowledge that the brutality of history needs to be placed in the context of the times that the history was occurring and acknowledge the achievements that were made. It's not that we are forgiving past generations for their cruelty, but we accept that they were operating in times of different standards with an intentional purpose.

The promises offered by dictators like Putin and his cronies around the world is hardly a solution to the brutality you feel from centuries ago. Those are the common lessons of Animal House, 1984, and Brave New World. There is gold in those writings. And, you would do well to familiarize yourself with their words.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, I certainly recognize that history has been brutal at times. My point is we can't apply 21st century sensibilities on our ancestors who did what they thought was best at the time, in the time in which they were living. And, there is a certain responsibility the developed world at the time had in bringing along the rest of the world. And, so the British Empire was created and extended. Looking back, there were horrific moments for sure, but in sum total there was also good that came from it generations later.

In the meantime, stories like 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World were written at times when the idea of dictatorships and complicit citizens suggested real horrors could be wielded without proper controls. Dictators like Putin and the others bear out the warnings of those writers.

@MarkPaul And yet more excuses and justiifications. Weird how the founders of your country knew many of the things the British Empire did was morally bankrupt and wrong but we are supposed to pretend now all of a sudden that people back then didn't know right from wrong to support your argument.

Convenient.


They were written as political propaganda full stop. And the same countries lecturing others then and now back the majority of the most horrific regimes on planet earth.

And they only fit those comparisons if you blindly accept political propaganda at face value. Putin in particular. You don't have to like him but Russia is objectively not a dictatorship. Words have definitions.

And you want to wag a finger at them while you are in bed with literal medieval style kingdoms like the Gulf States that chop people's heads off every few Fridays for practising the wrong religion or letting woman out in public by themselves. So spare me the moralizing bullshit.

Literally every fascist dictator in Latin America in the last 50 years was trained in the USA.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, let me educate you a bit on the British Empire that committed some original sins, sure. But, consider all the advantages they bestowed on the world including those who spent time under the Empire's thumb. If you think about it objectively many nations owe their standing today because of the influence they were under from the British Empire. It really was a magical experience and reinforces the biblical adage, “to whom much is given, much will be required.” While there may have been some selfish motives, the responsibility of raising the living standards of lesser developed territories was certainly a favourable outcome for all concerned.

Your love of Putin might be blocking your view of what is really taking place in Russia. If you think Putin was legitimately elected (hopefully, you are not so forgone to actually think this so I am generously giving you the benefit of the doubt), then you are intoxicated with the Russian propaganda you think is a viable news source. He is a dictator in the same way Idi Amin, Josef Stalin, and Mussolini were. With his Soviet KGB training he might be more dangerous.

Don't allow yourself to be so easily manipulated by Putin's shirtless pic that is intended to make you think he's your kindhearted and caring bro. Don't be fooled by a bro culture that is not really there.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I'm just pointing out that the British Empire produced a lot of good by taking on the responsibility for a collection of undeveloped lands and peoples who gained a foothold in the prosperity that otherwise would have been outside their reach.

To dismiss Putin's KGB training as residue from the 1980's makes it seem like you have no idea education works for the human mind. I can assure you, Putin has not forgotten or walked away from his training and education. He's as much of a KGB agent today as he was in your beloved Soviet Union.

The Western free world is your enemy I suppose. Oh, the burden you must feel for having to put up with educated critical thinkers (like myself) who challenge the Soviet-style talking points you are reciting. Putin is a power hungry, self-serving dictator who thrives on people to manipulate. You might be one of his victims... or protégés, I don't know. At least you sound like one.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, this is rather insulting. I take history seriously. And, I want to be clear... I am not saying the British Empire didn't commit a certain number of atrocities like any community of people have done through the ages. So, I am not making excuses or trying to whitewash it. But, I am also sophisticated enough to recognize all the good that has come from the British Empire's conquests. Certainly those wouldn't go over well today, but back in the day, that is just how nations and people acted. It was expected. They also helped the communities they may have plundered by raising their standard of living... ultimately.

Putin isn't a dictator because I don't like him or deem him to be one. He is one because his entire political programme is one of dictatorship and empire building. He literally has turned Russia into a model of North Korea. And, yes... Kim Jung Un is also a dictator.

@MarkPaul It is the truth. You seem fond of history according the Proud Boys. And yes that is exactly what you are saying.


Yes, that is the entire basis of your argument .

And no. That is factually wrong. It only holds because western governments know most Westerners don't even understand their own political system and sure as fuck have no idea how things work in Russia or anywhere else for that matter.

And you are proving my point that when it comes to political systems in other countries Americans in particular tend to be functionally stupid on this issue and your government counts on that.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, I'm highly educated and a businessman as well. Please let the record show that I am not speaking in favour of the history of turning savages into slaves, but taking on the responsibility to bring the needy people of the undeveloped world and welcoming them into the civilized one. That has merit and it seems to me a debt of gratitude is owed.

I suspect you don't have the street smarts to know what a dictator is from your comfortable perch in the mainstream of society. I have that "street sense" of how governments work and what happens when dictators arrive on the scene. I can assure you, it's not pretty and Putin fits the bill. I could elaborate, but I don't want to scare the living daylights out of you. You seem delicate.

@MarkPaul No you are not. You have been lying about your "credentials" for years at this point.



I know what a dictator is. And it is not based on vibes which seems to be your entire argument.

Words have definitions.

You don't have any sense and just make up definitions to suit whatever mental vomit you happen to be posting at any given time.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I never lied about my credentials. Well, maybe I did a little, but if I did it was to point out that my experience made up for a few formal degrees. But, that doesn't change the fact I am educated now and a businessman. So, I have the rigor of academic training at uni and the street smarts that comes from operating a business.

Now that my CV is established and the basis for it explained and understood, I think we can agree that Putin himself would declare that he is a dictator... in a private setting with no public exposure. To say he is a free market operator is on the ludicrous side and I suspect you know that.

@MarkPaul Yes you have. For years now. In fact the number of credentials you have claimed over the years is literally impossible given your age.

To have all the credentials you have claimed over the years you would have had to start college at like 7.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, that seems like an exaggeration. I mean, I may have presented my life experience in glowing terms, but that's understandable as I was preparing for the interviewing stage of my career. In any case, that's in the past and has no reflection on who I am now.

The one thing I do know and understand nearly better than anyone else is how human behaviour dictates action. So, you take insecure people like Putin, Stephen Miller, Insurrectionist-Cry-Baby-trump, et al., and you find they are literally play-acting to get the kind of attention they feel they didn't get enough of and that left them empty vessels. Oh sure, you can issue your repudiations of my reasoned assessment, but the fact remains these blokes are all cut from the same cloth and need dictatorial power to feel self-actualized. I recognize this might be over your head, so I can address any clarification you need.

I really don't understand the raw aversion you have to the British Empire when they made the modern world we all live in possible. The hard decisions were made so that future generations could prosper.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I'm not a white supremacist. I'm a people-person... all people. My assessments are based on informed reasoning and good, hard facts through my reporting and the rigorous discipline of a reporter. As somewhat of a historian, I am able and skillful in threading the needle of history to get at the truth.

I can't quite figure out why you are obligated to be a Putin-apologist. In any case, I have a professional obligation to my readership to deal in facts, not vibes.

@MarkPaul Based on your actual statements and political positions you actually very much are. No, it is based on a white supremacist pro colonial re-write of history.

I am not a Putin apologist. Again, words have definitions and facts matter. A person is not a dictator just because you don't like their vibes.

You are not a professional and you don't have a readership and you deal exclusively in vibes.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Let's summarize the relevant facts. That might help you to focus. I find that when I help people find "their focus," they are better able to understand the situation they, quite often, have placed themselves in. In your case, I see someone who is literally stuck in his situation. So, hopefully this will help.

1. Putin isn't a dictator because I don't like the way he comes across. He is a dictator because of his own behaviour. He was elected by nefarious means that are not representative of a free and fair election. he is a dictator because of his lifestyle, his chosen style of leadership, and his actions when people cross or find critical things about him.

2. Acknowledging the favourable things that originated from the British Empire is in no way, shape, or form white supremacy. In fact, it could be argued it's the reverse because of the recognized obligation to improve the lives of others who were less fortunate. Recognizing that history requires the sophistication of context, the acts of the British Empire would not be acceptable today, but it was acceptable in times that had different codes of acceptable conduct. Holding people to modern day standards is childish and petty.

3. I attended and completed my programme of study at uni and I am a professional businessman. That affords me certain capabilities that are not accessible to you. As a people-person, I am trying to help you by feeding you with knowledge, real-world insights, and street smarts from the centre of life, not the sidelines where you are choosing to reside. I understand that might be unsettling for you. But, that is the kind nourishment you need, based on my considered calculation and diagnosis🍳

@MarkPaul I don't like Putin either. Don't like Trump. But that doesn't magically make either country a dictatorship.

You claim he was elected by nefarious means with zero evidence and zero understanding of the political culture in Russia. It is all based on cold war cliches and vibes.

I bet you could not even tell me what the largest opposition in Russia is. You fools think irrelevant people like Navalny (a white supremacist and far right) and Gary Kasparov are the Russian opposition. Listening to you people talk about Russia and you all think it is 1993 and Yeltsin's Russia is the same as 2024.

2. Quit lying. You are a white supremacist and colonialism apologist.

You don't want to be called that? Don't use the same talking points as neo nazi terrorists.

3, More lies. Your fake claims to education are not even worth wasting time on.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, I am highly offended that you call me a white supremacist when I have been an activist for decades in support of all people. ALL PEOPLE. I am not influenced by events from 1993. I didn't even arrive on the planet yet and shortly after I was just a kid with no experience. So, save your off-the-shelf childish insults for the appropriate time and people.

You would be the one to call Navalny and Kaparov "irrelevant." It fits with your general disregard for anyone who challenges your pedestrian tirades.

I know it makes you feel big and brawny to blame the British Empire for all the bounty of the free world that you take for granted and would be unwilling to give up. Perhaps you are the one who harbours terrorist interests against modern society in the form and shape of the Unabomber. Was he your mentor? No offence intended.