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Putin is following in Khrushchev's footsteps

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Zintis ZnotiÅ?Å¡

Thoughts:

While Putin talked about the miraculous weapons, all of the tests had been failures. And the following tests were unsuccessful as well. So, it's too early to talk about Russia possessing such weapons. I will add that the demonstration didn't show videos from the tests, but instead graphic images and animations, which leads to believe that Russia doesn't have any superweapons yet.

We could go on and on, but this wouldn't change the fact that nearly all of Putin's statements have been lies.

Is Putin the only lying Russian president? If we look at the last decades, he certainly isn't the only one, but he sure is the most prominent one. If we look at more distant history - and considering that Putin believes Russia to be the heir of the USSR Â - we can conclude that Putin is surpassed by another gentleman - Nikita Khrushchev.

When it comes to bluffing/lying, both of them are similar, but when it comes to the extent and approach Khrushchev trumps Putin. Khrushchev once too attempted to deceive the West that the USSR is a might nuclear state. To do this, on 30 October 1961 the USSR tested a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb, and the entire world now believed that the USSR is a might nuclear superpower that should be respected. This launched the notorious arms race that turned out to be lethal for its initiator - the USSR. So, what did Khrushchev lie about when he called the USSR a nuclear superpower? The missile could only be loaded into the Tu-95 bomber half way, and this decreased the speed and range of the aircraft. A trench had to be made to be able to push the missile under the airplane on a special platform. If the super-powerful bomb would indeed be commissioned, the means to deliver it to the target would still have to be produced. This meant that the only state the USSR could destroy with nuclear weapons was the USSR itself - they had a bomb, but didn't have the means to deliver it to the target.

This is just one of Khrushchev's bluffs/lies, but there were many more.

In small doses, bluffing and lying are accepted in politics. But the USSR accepted it on an unimaginably lager scale - as we know, during Soviet times the ruling clique bluffed and lied constantly. Khrushchev's bluff/lies had become so severe that his official speeches were censored by removing from them the deadlines of his exaggerated promises.

What happened to Khrushchev? He made history as one of the rare people to leave his post on his own feet - instead of being removed from the Kremlin on a stretcher. In simpler words, he was dethroned, and the press only reported that he is retiring due to his worsening health.

Now, let's look at the similarities. Putin too lies/bluffs like a real professional.

Therefore, we cannot ignore that fact that Russia is working on a draft law that intends to grant life-time judicial and administrative immunity to former presidents for anything they may have committed during their presidency.

You could think that Putin is already starting to plan his future after his presidency ends, however there is one big "but" - Putin can remain in power until 2036. Isn't it a bit too early to start thinking about what will happen after 2036? Formally and from the outside, it seems that Putin's positions are quite strong. Let's not forget that Khrushchev too thought that he is untouchable, but the Kremlin's elite didn't agree with him.

We also cannot ignore the information published in the media that Putin is showing symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which is the reason he intends to step down in early 2021. Of course, the Kremlin denies this, but we know that the Kremlin denies everything said by someone else other than itself.

There is one more interesting aspect in all of this. It's no secret that Putin no longer has control over the situation. This is confirmed by the protests in Khabarovsk, as well as Putin's own indecisiveness on a range of issues. Ironically, in an article titled "Has Putin Lost His Mojo?" this topic is analyzed by none other than Khrushchev's granddaughter - Nina Khrushcheva.

It seems that the biggest bluffers/liars will share another feature - they will have left the Kremlin on their own feet.

Sources:

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Zintis ZnotiÅ?Å¡ Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

On a daily basis I am working as freelance independent investigative journalist. I am happy to be the Latvian patriot, born in Riga. I Have studied politics and journalism at the Latvian University. Currently, on a voluntary basis, I am helping (more...)
 

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