From Russki Strongman-In-Chief:
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday, calling the death, which came amid strikes from Israel and the U.S., a “cynical violation” of norms.
Uh huh. Let’s talk about “cynicism” for a moment. Lessee:
- Murdering dozens, perhaps hundreds of political opponents and even jailing people who dare to criticized his rule: A-OK
- Murdering said critics and opponents even when they’re living outside Russia in places like the UK: A-OK
- Executing generals and other military officers who failed to conquer Ukraine in three days, as promised, taking instead over three years (and still failing): very much A-OK
But killing the head of a terrorist state which has financed and encouraged terrorist acts all over the civilized (and not-so-civilized) world for the past half-century… well wait a minute, that’s just beyond the pale, you know.
Fuck you, Vlad, and that fucking horse you rode in on.
Just be thankful there wasn’t a rocket sent in your direction. (It could still happen.)
The principle of not killing enemy heads of state goes back centuries. (Being killed by your own people a la Mussolini and Caucescu is a different matter.) Recall that Napoleon was exiled, not executed. However, given his numerous attempts to kill Zelensky, this definitely doesn’t apply to him.
Had Khameini and his predecessor not actively and openly planned to assassinate Presidents Trump and Bush respectively, I might treat that principle with more respect.
And especially so, as you suggest, with Vlad.
My only concern is will the Iranians run out of people who can sign the surrender papers
We’ve hit Maduro and top leadership of Iran.
Putin’s throwing a flag because he’s afraid that if he’s not *next* on the list, he’s still in the top 10.
IMO going after top leadership of other countries is setting dangerous precedent. There’s LOTs of justification for what we did in Venezula and Iran, and IMNSHO we will live in a better world when leaders of nations are more afraid for their safety than the privates in their armies, but in the near term it is going to be destabilizing.
Agreed, but under the circs it didn’t seem like we had much choice.
Creative use of that old photo of Vlad and his horse.
There is a tradition in Russia, that what the autarch does with the Russian people is nobody’s got-damn business but his own. This tradition is stronger than Communism, stronger than Nazism, stronger than any political tradition in Europe. In its present formulation it predates the Constitution by a factor of five, and it is an indispensable tradition for survival on the steppe going back to the time of Herodotus.
Compared to that, Islamic theocracy doesn’t have a pedigree. Also, they fucked with us.
Russia is not our worry, without markets for oil and gas they will fade into oblivion.
The thing to keep an eye on is the megalomaniac currently in (supposed) control of the PRC. All the stuff Trump is doing is hemming in their economy on all sides. When 30% of their own population ceases to have work resulting in stress on their food and energy supply, the explosions may start happening internally. The cornered rat will see starting a shooting war as a way out of the trap regardless of consequences.