Vladimir Putin served as a KGB officer in East Germany in the waning days of the Cold War. Humiliated by the fall of the Soviet Union and nursing a sense of grievance, Putin viewed it as his mission to return Russia to its proper place on the world stage. Filmmaker Michael Kirk’s PBS-aired Frontline documentary details Putin’s long-simmering resentments and distrust of America. Putin reinvented himself as the Prime Minister under ailing Premier Boris Yeltsin, who stepped down in 1999, after which Putin took control. Although paying lip service to democracy, Putin had the instincts of an intelligence chief, what one person calls a "professional liar" who saw enemies everywhere. Realizing that Russia couldn’t match America on the battlefield, Putin turned to cyberwarfare, using hacking to sow doubts and undermine America’s image at home and abroad. After events in Iraq and Libya, Putin was convinced that America was trying to promote regime change in Russia. A born strongman, Putin was TV savvy, and he promoted his image as a virile and powerful figure, coming down hard on breakaway republics, terrorists, and critics on TV and in the streets (some opponents were mysteriously killed or disappeared). After dealing with domestic enemies, Putin took his revenge on America’s "freedom agenda," using hacking, voter manipulation, fraud, and social media to spread "fake news." Putin harbored a particular dislike for Hillary Clinton for her roles in plotting Gaddafi’s overthrow and death in Libya, the Arab Spring, and sowing dissent and unrest in the Ukraine. The film covers Putin’s mostly successful attempts to stir discord and confusion during America’s 2016 election, his disinformation campaigns and weaponizing of leaks, and the "hybrid wars" in Syria and the Ukraine. Offering an urgent warning about a powerful player in global politics at a time when relations between the Soviets and the West are at their worst since the Cold War, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
Putin’s Revenge
(2017) 120 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0364-6. Volume 33, Issue 3
Putin’s Revenge
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