Oh, is that true! Those ignorant, fuzzy-headed politicians see Russian authoritarian as a vehicle for pursuing their own political goals. They have no knowledge or understanding of the history and culture of Russia. Russia has always been an authoritarian oligarchic state and culture. It is also a country and culture which has an inferiority complex, causing it to act in an aggressive and expansive manner to try to be more than it is.

It is true that the country is no longer ruled by communist ideology and political structures. But, today's Russian leaders were once members of the communist ideological elite and served in the military, secret police of politbureaus. They are still applying the tactics and strategies they learned, if not the ideology. They are just as aggressively authoritarian, expansive, aggressive, and self centered as they ever were.

Any American who identifies with any aspect of the Putin regime's thought or behavior is an enemy to the ideals and values which we seek to pursue in our constitutional democracy -- and a damned fool!