Tick tock, Vladimir Putin!
Some emotions cannot coexist. It’s just impossible, I believe, for certain emotions to float together. Many feel that happiness and sadness are two of those emotions. I’d beg to disagree on that one. These two emotions are two halves of a whole, and that whole is called feeling “bittersweet.” I’d argue those feelings can perfectly coexist. But what about other feelings? What about satisfaction — and desperation?
I’d argue these two emotions are strangers to one another and can rarely coexist. And as it relates to Putin, he can feel only one of these emotions at a time– and I am guessing desperation is winning. Think about it. When one feels satisfied, one feels a spark — an ember — aglow deep in one’s belly.
Perhaps one accomplished something fantastic at work, put together a great party, or donated to the less fortunate. That is when one feels good — useful and self-satisfied. Desperation is different. Desperation is not small — it’s a gigantic tidal wave of feeling that encompasses the one feeling it, spilling its tidewater over them and leaving them frightened — sad — enraged.
And we have ample evidence that is exactly how Putin is feeling right now. Putin’s losing his war. He has lost the trust of his people. His military is failing. And now there are reports that perhaps — only perhaps — the invasion could soon “collapse.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said just this on MSNBC. Hodges, formerly the commanding General for U.S. Army Europe, said that he expects things in Russia to soon “culminate.”
“The rumors are flying around,” he explained. “Clearly, the Kremlin is starting to look for scapegoats.”
“You have six Generals killed so far.” he went on. Hodges thinks things could come to a head very soon.
And whispers are growing steadily louder about the desperation Putin is feeling, his paranoia, his wrath. He is off-balance, and as Palmer Report laid out, there are even talks about an FSB scheme to overthrow Putin.
Putin is desperate. Therefore, there can be no satisfaction for him — no spark of hope inside him. All he has is desperation — as he confronts are the ruination of a wicked scheme gone terribly, sickeningly wrong.
