Putin likes Trump, and says so openly:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump as a talented and outstanding man, welcoming his stance on Russia. “He is a very outstanding man, unquestionably talented,” Putin told journalists after his annual press conference in Moscow. “It’s not up to us to judge his virtue, that is up to US voters, but he is the absolute leader of the presidential race,” Putin added.

I believe much of Putin’s psychology is best understood as an outgrowth of his history as a Judoka. I knew an old Japanese Sensei, with high level blackbelts is many arts, including Judo, Akido, and Kyokoshin. I forget the exact quote, but it went something like, “Akido fighters very quiet, Karate Fighters very disciplined, Judo fighters – AAARRGGGGGHHHHHHH!,” as he mimed shaking someone violently, with a crazy wild-eye’d expression.

Judo competition is very much like wrestling and Brazilian Ju Jitsu – violent, physical, and dangerous. Like all fighters, Judoka enjoy the violent competition, or they go find some other hobby. My suspicion is that his time spent at the Dojo during his early years molded his psychology more than anything else he experienced. There he learned to compartmentalize his competitive urges and his respect and fondness for opponents. It was probably cemented in his teen years by having beers with the guys he was just trying to crush, after each class let out.

Today he can look at Trump with respect, and he will openly speak of it because on some level Putin wants a worthy adversary to compete with. Have no doubts, when they meet in the international arena Putin will try to destroy Trump as hard as he can – and he will expect no less from Trump.

Were Putin a rabbit, he would be pushing for Sanders or Hillary, hoping we’d fall for it, and he could have an easy win. But guys who walk with one hand ready to draw their guns and start killing people tend to not think that way.

A lot of the neocons keep telling us how evil and dangerous Putin is, but more and more I realize, they’d say the same thing about Trump, and they think the same things about us. The world really is rabbits and wolves.

Apocalypse cometh™