Would You Vote 'Putin' for U.S. President?

Writer Jerry Salyer says he would, and explains why:

Every single time the US chattering class gets sanctimonious toward Russia, I find myself sympathizing overwhelmingly with the Russians.   This says less about any naive delusions of mine regarding Russia’s leadership than it does about my loathing and contempt for so-called “American values”:  The radical Democratic wing of liberalism takes the breaking up of my people’s religious tradition and historical memory as an end unto itself, while the Republican wing of liberalism sees in such “creative-destruction” a necessary means of promoting finance capitalism.  For someone who wants an actual home for himself and his family there’s no meaningful choice whatsoever to be found in the American system.

Of course I’m not claiming Russia’s rulers actually do their duty, much less that they do it well; I am saying that however unscrupulous, Machiavellian, and power-hungry they may be, they are at least vaguely aware of what their duty is:  To preserve the nation.  This stands in stark contrast to Western rulers, who feel it their duty to destroy their respective nations so as to make way for a Brave New World.

The rest is available here.