Putin doesn't just dream of the days when the USSR was one of two superpowers. Putin is from the Russian tradition that anointed itself the third and final Rome after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Yet he leads a nation that doesn’t rank in the top ten in GDP, and whose wealth depends in large part on natural resource prices. Russia’s standing is even worse than that, because many of the larger economies are (or were) allies that together further dwarf the Russian economy. And if Russia sought an alliance with China, Russia would be the junior partner. Putin can’t grow the Russian economy, and can’t make it grow into a leadership position on the world stage, so how can he make his country more important? His very smart and potentially effective answer is to divide everyone who stands in front of him. When the big players in front of you are divided, suddenly you are relatively more important and you matter again.
I’m not going to get into the speculation of why Putin might help Bernie, or what is really meant by “help” in this case. Like me, most people on this site have been following politics all their adult lives. When it comes down to it, we are all speculating about who the strongest Democratic candidate may be. And we live here. So I’m not a believer that Putin has some special insight over US experts and political scientists.
But I’m pretty confident that Putin knows a divided Democratic Party cannot easily defeat Deranged Don. Putin, and his servant Trump, just want us to fight with each other. Their mission is not all that difficult. First, lots of us are giving our time and our money to a candidate we believe is the best. If national polling is correct, more than 50% of the Democrats support a candidate who will not be the nominee. Losing is depressing, and striking out against an opponent is often a good way to try to prevent a loss.
The other thing about fights is that they are easier to start than they are to stop. It’s not fun to be insulted, and it’s human nature to strike back. From there, the fighting only gets worse. It’s important to remember that if any Democrat has a chance against Trump and Putin, that nominee needs the support of the majority of Democrats who now support someone else at this moment. On this site, and elsewhere, we have to remember that the person we are debating may be casting the vote that is needed to elect our candidate. When is the last time you were persuaded by someone who insulted you, belittled you or treated you with condescending disdain? We can debate each other without walking away from each other in anger.
And as the reports of interference surface, remember that the person taunting you and making you angry online might not even be a US citizen. They aren’t trying to persuade; they are trying to piss you off and make you angry so you walk away from our eventual nominee.
Putin’s strategy is ultimately pathetic. He can’t or won’t help his own people, so he tries to diminish everyone else. (Remind you of his buddy in the White House?)
The best thing you and I can do to defeat and enrage Putin, and his little servant, is to just stay together. Let’s agree that we will never agree about all issues, that we each react differently to different personalities, and remember how we have changed positions ourselves over time. Let’s be respectful and forgiving with each other. Let us try to make each other better, and to get back on side quickly when we make a mistake. This is all easier said than done. I’m going to screw up, and others will as well. But this election is just too important. We can drive them crazy by being kind, by sticking together and by staying united. Let’s try it. And remind ourselves every day.
As the saying goes, “Keep your eyes on the prize.”