Stunning miscalculation by Vladimir Putin

| 12:01 pm EDT April 5, 2022
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

They always make mistakes. Throughout time, brutality has been the method of choice for craven dictators everywhere. Many of them have been smart. Others not so much. There is a typical school of thought out there that Putin is one of the smart ones. I am slowly starting to change my mind where that’s concerned.

Putin’s made plenty of mistakes. And this story is about one Mikail Khodorkovsky, who appeared on Fareed Zakaria’s show on CNN. And he gave his views on what is happening with Putin. And his view is that Putin expected — flowers.

According to the exiled Russian oligarch, Putin thought the Ukrainians would love him. He expected “flowers thrown in the street.”

Flowers in the street. Let’s just take that in. Because if that was what Putin REALLY expected, it was a fatal calculation that might prove to be his undoing.

And Khodorkovsky explained that when the streets remained bereft of blooms and the people did not welcome him with open arms, Putin “went crazy.”

Ironically, so many dictators and brutish rulers always seemed to be felled by the same thing — arrogance.

In their blinding love for themselves, it does not seem to occur to them that some — indeed many — might find them repulsive. And the Ukrainians certainly did. “I really think it drove him literally insane,” Khodorkovsky went on.

Indeed it might have though Putin was likely unbalanced way before that. And it was undoubtedly insane of him to think Ukrainians would feel GRATITUDE — that they would thank him for attempting the ruination of their beautiful country.

I feel like throwing some flowers in the street to honor President Zelenskyy. He is a man of substance and character. He is attempting every day to save his noble people from the malignant evil of the maniac Putin.

Putin has few options that are good for him. But this warped calculation of his just might come back to bite. And all because of his deadly and stunning mistake.