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Putin is an extreme pragmatist, and fundamentally, he believes in power. I'd say he's like a Sengoku (Warring States period) general. For example, if you told Oda Nobunaga to respect human rights, it wouldn't work at all.

21 Comments

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to 16th century Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. Abe has met Putin 27 times.

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Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to 16th century Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. Abe has met Putin 27 times.

The admirers of Putin come from either people born to privilege who dream of exercising the kind of absolute power over life and death that Putin displays.

Or masochistic followers of "strong men".

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Most of what is said about Oda Nobunaga will be myths. You might as well compare Putin to someone in a manga or anime.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to 16th century Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga

I compare Vladimir Putin with a total insane, mass murdering, giving orders to destinguish a whole nation, killing innocent people and raping young women as...hole, who is on the same madness level like Adolf Hitler.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Responding to Abe's comments from a few days ago, opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Kenta Izumi said "He (Abe) met for talks with that warlord (Putin) 27 times, and said that he would 'run, dash, and then dash more until reaching the goal' with Putin." Izumi added, in a sarcastic tone, "If the friendly feeling is so strong between them, then surely he (Abe) understands Putin's thinking, so Abe should stop him."

Gotcha!

Also, anyone remember the Daggers that Putin gave Abe back in 2018 and 2016? Totally forgot the celebrated “Year of Russia.” https://japan-forward.com/muramasa-dagger-given-by-vladimir-putin-to-shinzo-abe-on-public-display-november-16-18/.

Check out the pictures!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Dictators are Viagra to the morally flaccid.

Look how many got the red carpet treatment during Abe's reign.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Interesting Abe would choose to compare a foreign dictator with a well known, famous Japanese historical figure. That alone says he respects Putin immensely. Abe is not the right person to be asking for opinions on Putin -- he's more like him than a lot of people want to admit.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Putin is not a "extreme pragmatist." He is an impetuous lout with not brains for warfare. This is to say that leaders who start wars lose them. These so-called pragmatists are showmen at best. Napoleon put on a great show in France as did Hitler, the murderous clown. Americans have had more that their "extreme pragmatists." Lyndon Johnson who lied America's way into Vietnam and lost. The Bush the Younger (and dumber) got the U.S. in its longest war that It lost. And then there was Putin's buddy Donald Trump, who was all show and no brains.

Putin was a "extreme pragmatist" as a salesman. Should have stuck to that instead turning to totalitarianism and war.

Ukraine will win that war, however painfully. Putin will likely lose more than a war.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Oda was ‘betrayed and pushed to kill himself’ and we can only hope that history repeats itself with Putin.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Abe has met Putin 27 times.

All the more reason to claim some actual insight into the guy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Roundabout way of saying he is retrograde and anachronic.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oda was a pretty sick psychopathic murderer so the comparison is apt.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

A psychopath not a pragmatist

3 ( +4 / -1 )

He probably made this remark before the invasion of Ukraine? Most people thought that Russian leader was a good chess player. Russian federation was making progress with meaningful moves. Their network of oligarchs was working like a Swiss watch. Sputnik news was on the air all around the globe from Japan to UK. In spite of what they did in places like Syria, the West was more or less accustomed to this regional power dreaming big with their Soviet legacy. To make a long story short, they were doing fairly well politically and economically. By no means, they needed to react the Nato and EU attempts of Ukraine, ferociously. A good chess player would wait and act more strategically. Russian leader literally destroyed 'the Russian dream'. Why?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Ercan Arisoy - the answer to the question at the end of your comment is simple. Why did the Russian leader literally destroy 'the Russian dream'? He's nuts. Totally fruity. A modern-day Stalin and Hitler, Milosovic or Mao, take you choice.

I say - and it's only my thought - Russian should never have been given the inheritance of the USSR's seat on the UN's security council. In fact, that 'security council should be disbanded forever.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Ercan Arisoy - the answer to the question at the end of your comment is simple. Why did the Russian leader literally destroy 'the Russian dream'? He's nuts. Totally fruity.

Thank you for your comment,

TrevorPeace.

I think that there's a sudden shift (as if something very unexpected happened) in his decision-making, right after he met Macron in Moscow. And wonder why?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Putin is not a "extreme pragmatist." He is an impetuous lout with not brains for warfare

He’s also a vile little hypocrite. Lots of sickening shots of him today in church, crossing himself and trying to look pious at the same time that he is setting his orcs to commit war crimes in Ukraine.

Continuing to shell Mariupol, continuing to force citizens to ‘evacuate’ to Russia, launching missiles at residential blocks in Odessa.

He’s evil.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

'This, too, shall pass.' If one pays attention to Human history, the one certainty that can be extracted from such an examination is that, if you agree with the 'majority' is almost any sphere of political (see: War) behavior, you are almost certainly 'wrong'. Seeing Russia or its leadership as 'uniquely wrong' in a world that contains the U.S. is to confess to complete ignorance of 'reality'. And the behavior of the U.S. in the last 150 years makes Nobunaga look like a pacifist...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

William,we are the deciders,we can fight our internal battle,and external battle ,wonder why the world look only to US,i know you like pose as an American,by buying your illusion of being an American

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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