1/4 My take on #Putin's "referenda" speech: a) I disagree with quite a lot of Western commentary. Here's why: b) It's not an aggrieved rant (Shaun Walker's reliably superficial and mediocre "taxi driver" interpretation). Instead it's a deliberate piece of rhetoric. Its core:...
2/4 ... Persuade his audience in #Russia that this is now a war about "the Russian way of life" (as Putin wants them to see it of course) and that it is inescapable. c) With an eye to non-Russian and non-Western audiences, a calculated attempt to position Russia as spearhead...
3/4... of an anti-Western rebellion/challenge. d) We may oc pick at the factual errors, hyperbole, and inconsistencies. But it's a mistake to dismiss this as a "cornered rant." The key question about a speech like that concerns its effect/efficiency. That remains to be seen....
4/4 ... e) Finally, I entirely disagree with qualifying this speech as evidence of individual insanity/psychosis etc. Because: Marked by what we can describe as #Putin's obsessions (or concerns?), it is, as argued above, clearly marked by rational, purposeful calculation.
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