I staked out a stronger position than I actually hold, a hopefully forgivable mistake in response to Zenaan's black-and-white "Russia good, US evil" propagandizing. Thanks for the thoughtful response.
OK, I can understand that.
Yes, there is a lot of ideological stuff like that here, it seems. I look at geopolitics from a merely strategic point of view,
Another moral relativist?
believing that the military planners and people in power tend to look at it in those terms rather than believing the bullshit that they tell the public. How could they? Many of them, no doubt, have contact with the media and have directed them what to say, in some way or another.
I would add, however, that from what I can tell, Putin is out-classing the West at nearly every turn.
Easy to do. Western politicians are largely self interested opportunistic thugs. Most individual humans in The West with strong conscience and clear mind --avoid-- politics at all costs - and so we collectively continue to pay very high moral cost (society as a whole). I am hopeful that whoever succeeds Russia after Putin has similar foundations and principles of global balance of powers (at the very least).
If there are any politicians in the U.S. that have a chance of out-thinking the man, I haven't heard of them.
Because almost none of them hold to a moral foundation, or what they themselves perceive as right and wrong. Look at Bernie Sellout Sanders - a classic example - held some pro-statist "socialist" views etc, but sold out "for the greater good" or some bullshit. What a limp idiot!