I recently read this book, which was recommended to me by a friend with a keen interest in international relations.
Essentially it is an account of the transformation of Russia from communism to Putins oligarchy via gangster capitalism from the pov of a (fictional) Kremlin adviser.
Some of the insights aren't particularly new to anyone who has watched the fate of Russia since the Wall came down, but some of it was very interesting and it presents a very Russian view of its relations with the West and the rest of the world. It also has some insights into Putins personality and background, as well as how to dismantle and subvert democracy and dissent to achieve total state control. Very much 'full spectrum dominance'.
Anyway, it is a nice easy read and reminded me that when I visited St Petersburg in around 2012, I think it was the scariest place I've ever been in my life, even compared to downtown Rabat at 3am. I gather it has now been made into a TV series airing later this year (or early next?) so I'll be interested to see how they have handled it. Better than 'King and Conqueror' I hope!
No comments:
Post a Comment