PDF Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped by Garry Kasparov in History

Review

110 of 121 people found the following review helpful. PutinBy L. .G. avid readerQuote:"“In my first years as an activist I often said that Putin was a Russian problem for Russians to solve; but that he would soon be a regional problem and then a global problem if his ambitions were ignored. This regrettable transformation has come to pass and lives are being lost because of it. It is cold comfort to be told ‘You were right!’. It is even less comforting when so little is being done to halt Putin’s aggression even now. What is the point of saying you should have listened and acted when you still aren’t listening and acting?” -- from Introduction to “Winter is Coming”"According to author Garry Kasparov Western appeasers with names like Bush; Merkel; Major; Clinton; Chirac; Obama; Schroder; Berlusconi; Sarkozy have been playing ball with Russian President Vladimir Putin for 15 years now. During the term of his predecessor Boris Yeltsin there had been a short window of opportunity to introduce democratic reforms to Russia and Yeltsin’s efforts met with limited success. Unfortunately; aided and abetted by the aforementioned Western leaders Vladimir Putin has reversed course since 2000 and has fashioned a KGB police state with far-reaching consequences for his own country and for the rest of humanity. Kasparov lays out precisely how we got here from there in his hard-hitting new book “Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World must be Stopped”. This is easily one of the most important books I have read recently." by Paul Tognetti (above)Yes; there is a lot of history and names I didn't know - but the point is "what" is happening - "how" it is happening; and "why"I happened to order this book recently - before the information about Putins involvement in the American election. Good timing. I have always been fearful and concerned about Putin - especially since his submarine war games with Venzeuela in 2008 - scheduled to be in the Gulf of Mexico - and conflicts with Putin over the ownership of the arctic - since it is beginning to meltOur government seems to have turned a blind eye - and tried to approach Putin in a way that you would approach a "normal" head of country. But Putin is NOT a normal head of country. Our approach he has seen as weakness - and he continues to run over us. And now the 2016 Presidential electionIt has to stop. We must stand up to him. Yes; even with military force - and I am a pacifist. I am like Obama an Idealist. I want to solve problems with "working together" - I detest conflict. "John Lennon's "Imagine" is pretty much my philosophy. But I have read enough about Russia in the past (Yes; I read The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - back in the 1970's) to be waryKasparov compares him to a mafia don. His driving desire is for money; and power. His instincts are always to bribe; to steal and to eliminate potential adversaries. Compromise and a "restart" button (as Hillary suggested) do not work with him. He laughs at us - and then takes another step toward subduing usTrump is no match - he has already been bribed by Putin. Diplomacy is no match. We must stand up to him and hit him where it hurts. I just hope it is not too late45 of 48 people found the following review helpful. Must ReadingBy Richard B. SchwartzGarry Kasparov is both a world chess champion and a political activist. Now living in New York (in the interest of personal safety); he has opposed the Putin regime since its inception. He argues that Putin is a dictator who has destroyed what little there was of a frail Russian democracy; a dictator who murders political opponents; shoots down civilian aircraft; annexes other peoples’ land; in the case of Crimea; and invades them; in the case of Ukraine. He does not; apparently; desire world domination; he is too realistic to attempt that. However; he does desire great wealth and power. He is surrounded by a set of economic oligarchs who have; with his leadership; turned the governance of Russia into a kleptocracy.In doing so he has succeeded for several reasons. He holds much of Europe hostage because of their dependence on the gas and oil which he controls. He secures their appeasement because of his audacity and their cowardice. He earns their trust because he is a great liar and a great controller of public imagery. He marketed himself as a member of the G8; just another economic leader; a person ‘with whom we could do business’. This is not Stalin or Hitler; but a person who manipulates power a bit more violently and a bit more autocratically; but; yet; someone with whom we can do business.Kasparov compares him to a mafia don. His driving desire is for money. His instincts are always to bribe; to steal and to eliminate potential adversaries. In the process; the millions of people whose destinies are in his hands can be damned. He does not care for them; he does not care for his country; he cares only for himself and for his friends (so long as they can help him solidify his power and garner more personal wealth).In exploring the recent decades of international history Kasparov makes his points again and again. After all; they are not far to seek. They only fade when we allow our delusions; fantasies; misperceptions and fears to permit them to do so. On the American front; Kasparov is critical of all of our presidents since Reagan and he is particularly critical of Obama. That criticism is reinforced with countless; specific examples. At the moment that I am writing; e.g.; Russian fighter planes are flying over our vessels in the Baltic; this sort of behavior solidifies Putin’s posture as a tough opponent of the west; meanwhile (to date; at least) we do nothing in response.With all of the discussion of politics; war and global strategy; I was pleased to see that in his peroration Kasparov identifies the greatest fear of all terrorists and dictators—education. He argues throughout for ‘principles’ over ‘policies’. Dictatorships succumb to liberty; to transparency; to a regard for the truth. Bullets may help in the short run; but in the long run (as this great chess master argues) the principles constitute the bulwark against the destruction of democracy and dissent. The principles come from education; from history; and from the courage of individuals who speak out in the face of repression and tyranny.This is an important book and also a very lucid and readable book. It should be must-reading for anyone aspiring to understand our current condition and; more to the point; for anyone who hopes to play a direct role in its amelioration.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Gary Kasparov urgently makes it clear to the Americans how ...By Janneke TwomblyGary Kasparov urgently makes it clear to the Americans how evil the Russian government is. Donald Trump is so totally ignorant. He admires Putin; who is a murderer and criminal on a grand scale. The Russian people live in abject poverty; while Putin and his cronies; (the olichargy) are all multi millionaires; living off the taxes.