Comments on: Notoriously Alpha https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Fri, 01 May 2026 21:33:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Candide III https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/comment-page-1/#comment-1113998 Candide III Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:44:12 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=34118#comment-1113998 What Putin has done, he has consolidated control of Russia to an extent Moldbug might approve of. There is no significant organized opposition to his rule. However, he did this at the cost of constructing (or rather reconstructing) a rigid system of rule that is almost completely parasitic. If it does anything productive or generally useful, it is to keep up appearances or by oversight. This system cannot, in fact, be used for anything except extraction of revenue; it turns all initiatives into villas in UAE, Lamborghinis and Swiss bank accounts like a pig turns everything into turds.

]]> By: Candide III https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/comment-page-1/#comment-1113912 Candide III Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:02:07 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=34118#comment-1113912 I’m afraid I can’t see it. Most macho, possibly, but best leader? When you factor out the high price of hydrocarbons, which is an exogenous factor for which Putin is not responsible, what are his accomplishments? ‘Winning’ the war in Chechnya? Kadyrov rules it exactly as he wishes now, receiving millions in federal money in exchange for vassalage. If pressed, I’d say Stalin was a better leader. Stalin certainly was a genocidal tyrant, but at least he used the capital he squeezed (with much blood) out of the countryside to build up real industry and real armed strength. Stalin robbed in order to build, Putin builds in order to rob. Sochi Olympics is the most recent example.

]]> By: Toddy Cat https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/comment-page-1/#comment-1113758 Toddy Cat Wed, 29 Jan 2014 15:03:18 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=34118#comment-1113758 I’m hardly a Putinophile, but Putin is probably the best leader Russia has had in a hundred years, which tells you more about Twentieth-Century Russian leadership than it does Putin, but still…

]]> By: Candide III https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/comment-page-1/#comment-1113150 Candide III Tue, 28 Jan 2014 22:56:21 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=34118#comment-1113150 Unfortunately, looking macho is about all Putin does for his loyal subjects. I wrote a bit of text about Russia and the outbreak of Putinophilia in the reactosphere a couple of weeks ago on Spandrell’s suggestion (click on my name for teh link).

]]> By: Toddy Cat https://www.isegoria.net/2014/01/notoriously-alpha/comment-page-1/#comment-1113126 Toddy Cat Tue, 28 Jan 2014 22:15:50 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=34118#comment-1113126 A Russian once said that “Putin is an SOB, but it takes an SOB to run a country like Russia”

I hate to say it, but if I lived in Russia, I would probably be a Putin supporter. I mean, who the Hell else is there who wouldn’t just get steamrollered? Putin seems to be playing a weak hand pretty well, as Russia’s leader.

He’s still an SOB, though…

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