From here.
Putin is neither a communist nor socialist. Russia’s social safety net is pathetic to non-existent, and the economy is basically a capitalist (and crony-capitalist) free-for all riddled with organized crime. If right-wing is defined by economic policy and reactionary attitude to social issues (which is the standard definition), Putin is, in fact, the right-wing authoritarian dictator the Foxbots would kill to have in the US, the vanguard of the fascism Putin is always accusing Ukraine of having. Putin is wish-fulfillment for the American right, and oh, so manly to boot.
So Putin is basically a rightwing authoritarian? How much of this critique is true? Can any of you on the Left critique this paragraph?
I do know that much of the economy is still state-owned and the state also owns partial (often 1/2) share in many other enterprises. The KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) supports Putin. The state still spends a vast amount of money at all levels. How is this US-style neoliberal/laissez faire economics? Someone clue me.
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America is so saturated with private special interest groups and dual loyalist
power, there is hardly left a group whose main or sole concern is the interest of the Traditional State, the foundation of ethical socialism. Not that the US ever had one.
Putin is an old fashioned Nationalist. However, the loss of life in the conflict with Ukraine is alarming.
Also the history of the Democrats show an alliance with the KKK, plus opposition to the ending of slavery. So I disagree aspirational. What we have instead is the evolution of the democrats to the standard bearers of Progressive policies today.
Putin’s government has a lot of business connections that are extreamly ruthless and often mercantilist in nature.
China, Germany, and too a lesser extent Russia do socialize their economy to a certain extent, but they do so in a way that’s extreamly detrimental to the over all health of the worlds workers, as well as environmental and business standards.
They loves Keynesianism domestically but demand austerity for everyone else.