Putative Roots of the Embellished Ego of Russian Leaders

Abstract

This opinion article explores what the author sees as the roots of the embellished ego of Russian leaders. It opens with the global danger of nuclear weapons, singling out Vladimir Putin's threats against Ukraine and NATO as the most troubling. The author argues that, despite Russia's cultural achievements, vast territory and natural resources, and success in military development and space research, the country has lagged behind the West in freedom, civil rights, economy and living standards, which he attributes to inappropriate economic policy and political corruption. The author traces this to Russia's multinational population, archaic pride, superstitions, admiration of physical power and aspiration to superpower status, which in the author's view required a tough central regime and a selection system that gave little weight to leaders' education and psychological state. Surveying leaders from Stalin to Putin, the author contends that, except for Gorbachev, they displayed an embellished ego and antagonism to the West, worsening Russia's isolation and resuming the Cold War. Arguing that Russia is not really threatened by the West, the article concludes that a change in Russian foreign affairs would require a national revolution to restrict what the author calls Putin's tyranny and imperialistic aspirations, and the division of Russia into several geographical ethnic entities, possibly through a military defeat of the Russian army.

Abstract prepared by the editorial office from the full text of the article; the authors did not supply one.