Ralph Peters titles his column, "A Czar is Born: Bad Vlad Wins, Dupes West and Proves He's Genius."
Let's be honest: Putin's the most effective leader in the world today.
That doesn't mean he's good news for anybody - not even for the
Russians, in the long run. His ruthless ambition and gambler's audacity
may end terribly.
But, for now, give the devil his due: After a long string of
successes, from his personal mastery of Russia's government and media
to his coldblooded energy brinkmanship, Putin has capped his
performance with a stunning success in Georgia.
Not a single free-world leader currently in office can measure up to Czar Vladimir the Great.
Peters goes on to explain why this is so. He analyzes the strategic planning that went into the Georgia invasion and Moscow's carefully-orchestrated propaganda coup.
- Update: Charles Krauthammer offers further analysis followed by suggestions to President Bush: