1/ I've watched (part of) Navalny's "Putin's Palace" exposé, and I suggest you do same. (It is subtitled.) It's half psychological profile/biography and half @60Minutes style follow the money report, citing rafts of documents, using drone footage. Now...
2/ I cannot verify its claims. You'd need to be a Russian speaker commanding a team of forensic accountants, for starters. But the pattern of Putin using "wallets"—old friends and cronies to horcrux his vast stolen wealth—is well known. He may be richest person in world.
3/ "Putin's Palace" hones in on one...palace...estimated to cost $1.3 BILLION. But it's the pattern of how the money is hidden that's more nefarious, esp put against what Russia spends on its people in pensions and otherwise. Here's a @CNN summary cnn.com/2021/01/20/eur…
4/ Also how Putin morphed from a Soviet intelligence agent to evoking more of a Russian Orthodox tinged version of Mother Russia. It's all about the money—he seems quite mad about exhibiting wealth—and the film's somewhat treacly comparisons to the Sun King, are apt.
5/ Navalny had a big base of support before this film, but his decision to come back, simultaneously release "Putin's Palace," which has outraged Russians, especially young ones—this is what people are protesting for, and likely dying for, today.
6/ I think I posted a non subtitled version above. Here's the subtitled one: If you want a taste of the follow-the-money part, 40 min is a good place to start:
7/ Our summary of protests today.
https://twitter.com/patcaldwell/status/1353040271169216515
8/ The other thing that "Putin's Palace" makes clear is what a charismatic and dynamic and BRAVE leader Navalny is. I fear what will happen to him. But also feels like he's lit a fuse that will be hard to stamp out.
9/ Again this claims—and things like the Panama Papers have also supplied support—that Putin is the RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. Maybe by many times over. Meanwhile Russians' standards of living been falling. themoscowtimes.com/2019/05/29/eco…
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