@mikeharmanos: Patriotism and populist nationalism are the last refuges of petty tyrants, despots, grifters, and the like. They'd rather have the citizens and nation burn around them than be seen to be weak and stupid.
@mikeharmanos: He knows that when the game is up that there is nowhere on the planet he can safely harbor, that he will be hunted until the bitter end, that he will be hunted down just like Hitler. and probably be driven to suicide in an attempt to "save face".
@mikeharmanos: His working his people up for an Orwellian "Forever War" is really just applying Stalin's strategy and attitude towards war.
"As long as there are Soviet civilians, I can force them to produce and send them to the front at will."
@thedisasterautist Exactly. Think of the Total War speech that Goebbels gave in February 1943 (just after they lost Stalingrad).
Putin has nothing else to offer the people except that this is now a total war against some made-up Russian purity bullshit