audiobook James Allens Book Of Meditations by James Allen in History

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There is no question that tensions between Russia and America are on the rise. The forced annexation of Crimea; the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17; and the Russian government's treatment of homosexuals have created diplomatic standoffs and led to a volley of economic sanctions. In America; much of the blame for Russia's recent hostility has fallen on steely-eyed President Vladimir Putin and many have begun to wonder if they we are witnessing the rebirth of Cold War-style dictatorship.Not so fast; argues veteran historian Walter Laqueur.For two decades; Laqueur has been ahead of the curve; predicting events in post-Soviet Russia with uncanny accuracy. In Putinism; he deftly demonstrates how three long-standing pillars of Russian ideology-a strong belief in the Orthodox Church; a sense of Eurasian "manifest destiny;" and a fear of foreign enemies-continue to exert a powerful influence on the Russian populous. In fact; today's Russians have more in common with their counterparts from 1904 than 1954 and Putin is much more a servant of his people than we might think.Topical and provocative; Putinism contains much more than historical analysis. Looking to the future; Laqueur explains how America's tendency to see Russia as a Cold War relic is dangerous and premature. Russia can and will challenge the West and it is in our best interest to figure out exactly who we are facing-and what they want-before it is too late.