Putin goes to Kennebunkport

I’ve been following with great interest about the informal summit in Kennebunkport the past few days. Olga and I usually go to Maine at least once a year, and since we are likely to miss this year’s trip, reading up on the visit has given me a chance to turn my thoughts fondly to the soulful, rocky Maine coast -- where the bracing, salty winds of the severe battleship grey Atlantic turns one’s thoughts to life, eternity, and our short time on this earth. And about eating lobsters three meals a day. The summit appears not to have yielded much in practical terms, but it gives me yet another chance to scold some of the Wizards of American Punditocracy for continuing to harp about a resuscitated Cold War. I realize it is a quick and convenient way to frame one’s deep thoughts about relations between Russia and the West, but no, the Kremlin is not laboring to restore the Soviet Empire. Russia’s ample and very serious problems at home and with its neighbors are not solely engineered by Putin and a shadowy cabal of FSB agents and oligarchs (and might we add their allies in the international business community? BP and PwC, we’re looking in your direction…). Every fair poll will tell you Putin’s popularity is about 70 percent, so blame the Russian people if you are going to blame anyone. But in fairness, also give them credit for ending the Soviet Union without sparking nuclear Armageddon. Time to drop the talking points from the last Heritage Institute seminar on what’s wrong with Russia and start coming to grips with messy post-ideological thinking. In real-life, Lenin is going to stay dead.