Convention wisdom is a funny thing. You question it at your own peril. In America, the conventional wisdom is that Putin is an autocrat who is anti-Democratic and wants to restore the empire as it existed under the Soviet Union. When I go on record and disagree with this conventional wisdom I am attacked by many in the Russophobic crowd. Just wait, I will be attacked for this very blog post.
My take on Putin is a bit different. First of all, Putin is the Prime Minister of Russia and his primary concern is the well-being of Russian and not winning a popularity contest in the West. His “bedside manner” is quite unapologetically blunt. His suffers no fools and demands respect. He is not a diplomate. He is the classic Russian boss. When he issues an order he expects that it will be carried out exactly as he specified.
Putin understands his country’s psyche much better than most. Russia is a country in transition. Everything he has done in the past 9 years, and before, he has done with the goal of making Russia stronger, more stable, and independent of the aid of another country or organization (e.g. the IMF in the 1990’s).
It’s important to remember that Putin has a first rate intellect. When he speaks with foreign reporters each year at his home, he needs no notes. He is very well versed on almost all important issues concerning Russia. One of the biggest problems facing Putin today is that people don’t take his words at face value. Due to the horribly biased coverage of Putn in the Western press, most people think Putin must have a hidden agenda. I don’t think he has one.
In the video below try to listen to Putin with an open mind. Putin is trying to engage us in a serious discussion. He is saying that the problems with face need strong and intelligent people to put their minds together. What is so striking to me about Putin’s speech is that he is NOT standing there saying he has all the answers. No, Putin is highlighting those issues which he believes are important.
There is an unique window of opportunity for those in power in the West to engage Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev as equal partners. If Barack Obama is able to have the inner fortitude to stand up to conventional wisdom and speak seriously with Russia’s leaders then I am very hopeful that we will see a new era of bilateral relations begin. We are fortunate to have such intelligent and serious leaders in both countries.
It may be hard for many in the West who so gloatingly thought that “America won the Cold War” and that our system was the best way to “create wealth and deliver freedom to the developing countries around the world.” Unfortunately, things are never so simple. We didn’t win the Cold War. No, instead the Soviet Union lost the Cold War itself. If my viewpoint is correct then this means that are gloating was misplaced. Our neo-classical version of market capitalism has produced horrible imbalances since 1991. We are now feeling the symptoms of the systems root flaws.
Therefore, it would be wise for us in the West to listen to a country and its leaders who have themselves gone through a change in economic systems. Our problems will not be solved by bailouts and time. No, our “market fundamentalist” approach will need to be fully overhauled before we begin to build prosperity again. We need to discard the false Gods of “growth” and the false promise of unlimited credit. The West has so many positive qualities and attributes but self-reflection is not high on the list. But it is self-reflection that Mr. Putin is suggesting we all do together to come-up with a new system that is neither a planned economy nor an unregulated free market economy. The goal, according to Mr. Putin, is that the new system should be something closer to what we call “Stakeholder Capitalism.” Markets remain an effective tool of allocating resources but that our priorities must be broader than simply shareholder profits.
Listen to Mr. Putin with an open and thoughtful mind. You may find that you too will begin to question conventional wisdom.
