OLIVER STONE AND MR. PUTIN.

Let me start by stating I am not a fan of Oliver Stone. To me, he’s just another example of a person who drags his country through the mud, but loves the money he makes by doing so. Besides being in love with his money, when you get right down to it, he’s a nut case! But, enough about Oliver Stone. Let’s talk about what is really important here. The Tsar. By the way, I loved the way Putin used his patent pended smirk when the question of him being the new Tsar came up.

Why?

Now, many may watch this series of interviews and ask themselves, “Why”? Why did Mr. Putin agree to being interviewed over a two year period by a US film director? Some of us know why and are not surprised at all. In reality, the “why” question is far more complicated than even Mr. Stone can comprehend.

What?

If you really want to know “why” Putin allowed this interview series, you have to ask, “What”? What is the Tsar looking to gain from it? It’s not about his ego and having someone like Stone doing a documentary on him. Putin is too driven to let his own ego get in the way. Yes, he is vain, but becoming a movie star is not on his bucket list. What? What does the Tsar see as the end state of this event with Mr. Stone? Does he get to tell the Russian viewpoint on topics he knows have been slanted towards the West? Probably, at least that is a part of his logic. Does he get the opportunity to shape perceptions? Absolutely and by the way, he’s very good at shaping perceptions. The fact of the matter is, only Putin really knows his ultimate goal of agreeing to these interviews. He may discuss them with his staff, but even then, some of his real, inner thoughts are kept to himself. Never forget, he is a deep thinker and a man who regulates what he says to everyone….everyone!

Preparation!

From the time Oliver Stone pitched the concept of interviewing the Russian President, until the time the first interview took place the gears were turning in Moscow on how to manipulate the event. Once a sound game plan was drafted and the interview format was agreed to, you can bet the detailed plan of what needed to be achieved was firmly placed on Putin’s staff. Notice the number of people in the room during certain parts of the interview.  Where would they be held? How long will they last? Who will be in the room? What questions will be asked? All of these conditions were set by the Putin Team. As for Mr. Stone, he was probably so drunk on just getting Putin to agree that he would have said yes to any condition. A fact not lost on Putin’s planning development. So, in the end, this was going to be a superbly executed stage for Putin to tell a story in just the fashion he had developed. He played Stone’s Bromance with him like a pimp! Just thought I would slide that in thereJ

Subconscious clues?

Now, I’ve watched the Tsar work the world Chessboard for years and so, when I sat down for episode one of Stone’s documentary, if it is that, I was more interested in how scripted Mr. Putin would be. The level of preparation was obvious and the ability to control body language and inflection is a skill craft Putin holds better than any other world leader. Having said that, I did notice a few very interesting “ticks” on particular topics. It’s interesting to see how hard people attempt to not show change when certain topics come up. One of the skill crafts of being a very good interrogator is to be able to observe when someone changes their character during an interview. Those that are good at manipulating this art are masters of getting people uncomfortable in their skin. By the way, Oliver Stone is NOT one of these kinds of people.

NATO:

I’ve said it for years and I will continue to say it. The expansion of NATO is a key element in Putin’s drive to defend Russia. His explanations as to how the West lied to the Russian leadership at the time was an example of him not just talking with Stone, but of him lecturing Stone! He more or less said, Russian leadership at the time was a team of fools and drunks. Notice the clips about Yeltsin and the film even talking about him being a drunk. Does anyone think the clips used for this show were not approved by Moscow? NATO! That was the topic that allowed me to see a difference in a man who has been trained not to show “difference” in an interview. How deep must this anger over the expansion of NATO be that a Master of expression such as Putin cannot keep from changing his demeanor?

CHILDHOOD:

When Stone mentioned the history of his parents, Putin’s response was yet another clue. Correcting Stone on what his Mother did and didn’t do was interesting. Making the statement about being allowed to run the streets too much caught my attention as well. A very controlled man has an impression that he was allowed to be too uncontrolled as a young boy? Interesting! The way he posed the statement about the streets made me believe that part of his life influenced him in a lasting way. How? That is the real question.

 CHECHENIA:

The wars in Chechenia? What made Stone bring this up? It’s clear when the list of topics were reviewed with Putin’s team, the topic of Chechenia was brought up, but by witch side? Did Putin’s team add Chechenia to the topic list? Did Stone? Did Stone’s team know the events in Chechenia was a point of interest to Putin? Regardless of how the topic was place on the list, it was clear Chechenia, in the eyes of Putin, another example of betrayal by the West. If you have any doubt President Putin blames the West for the two conflicts in Chechenia, to include the massacre at the school, then you are a fool!  Putin placed the blame Russia’s unrest squarely on the shoulders of the West, more specifically, the US. Take heed here! Do not underestimate the deep seated anger Putin has over the issue of the West interfering in Russia. He understands the complex world or rivalries on a global scale. He also understands the difference between calling someone a rival and labeling someone an adversary.  In my opinion, the jump has been made. Now, ask yourself. After Putin’s depiction of what took place in Chechenia and what is taking place with NATO, is there any doubt he would be willing to attempt to influence events in the US or the West in general? Why do you think he is so deeply involved in the Middle East? Why do you think he has manipulated the Middle East into a process of refugees flowing into a now destabilized Europe? His depiction of Chechenia was key. The question becomes, did he mean to tip his hand? Was he in some way attempting to show the US / West / people, not their governments, why Russia is angry?

THE BIG PICTURE:

The Russian President / Tsar / agreed to this series of interviews for a reason. When the last episode is over and the team sits back in Moscow to review the impact it had on the US and others, what will be the answer? Was it worth it? Did they achieve what they desired, or did they just let this idiot from movie land waste their time? I’ll be watching the next three parts, I think there are three more, to see what other clues…..messages the Tsar gives away.

Side note:  If you watched the first episode, did you notice all of Stone’s team in the room? They are ether afraid of Stone or they are worried about the process in general. Stone’s a head case, but his staff looked like they were sitting in the room with Charles Manson! Question is, who is their Charles Manson….Stone or the Tsar?