Vlad the Lad Round I

Crimes – could this be Vlad’s Last Stand?  Or how the mighty fall

We in the West know full well what the mighty Russian Bear is capable of, with their Black Jack Nuclear fleet. So if Vlad the Lad’s posturing over the Crimean Peninsular is not to demonstrate his chutzpah, what is it about?

If Russian speaking Ukrainians don’t like the politics there, Vlad could offer them sanctuary in Russia, he’s certainly not short of space. I’ve no idea how Russia came to have bases on the Crimean Peninsular but quite probably it happened in cold War Soviet times, for the Soviets ruled almost as long as the Tories have ruled the UK.

We all know how Vlad likes to come-on with the macho image, as shown by his bareback riding antics and besides this; he’s not without opponents inside his own domain. We know this because of recent moves to try silencing them, by denying contact channels to the outside world via the internet.

So could it be the opportunity to adopt scare-mongering tactics with the West diverts attention from his domestic squabbles, and is what attracts him to this situation. Opting to psyche out the world’s press corps with his infamous deadpan technique is one way to avoid the obvious, I guess.

Maybe a few lessons from Roger Lloyd Pack who played ‘Trig’ the acknowledged master of deadpan, before he passed away, a coupe of years back, would have prepared him better for this role. Somewhat more so than he seems able to muster, in appearances on RT these days.

So there you have it, for he must know deep down that he’ll get no kudos from trying to hold people who depend on Russia for energy, to ransom. In the end it will get him nowhere, particularly the way the oil price is sagging of late, in addition to which, he’s not going to be there forever.

More than likely I’d say, his posturing is for domestic consumption. Russia is a vast country with diverse interests, and you cannot change hearts and minds so easily. You might change a few hearts and maybe a few minds, but never the twain shall meet. You can’t legislate against attitudes of mind, even if you back it up with Gulags.

In some ways Vlad the Lad is harking back to Soviet days, something he well understands from his time with the KGB. Though when it comes to diplomacy, it looks like he’s not taken too many lessons onboard, and there’s still some way to go.

So if he wants to go up against Uncle Sam, that’s just what the Yanks have lacked, since the fall of Communism - a Bogeyman. Iran and Iraq were never in the same league as the Soviets. Though whether Vlad the Lad fits the bill on this one, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the end however, as always - it’s the economics wot does for ‘em and with the price of all bombing of late, who knows what comes next.

Look out for Vlad the Lad Round II anytime soon