Donald Trump recently made headlines claiming that Vladimir Putin has “gone crazy” and is needlessly killing people. But is that the full story? In this episode of Ideas Have Consequences, Larry Alex Taunton takes a deep dive into the man behind the global headlines—Vladimir Putin. Is he truly spiraling into madness, as many Western leaders suggest? Or is he a calculated, pragmatic leader shaped by history, trauma, and decades of Western missteps? Taunton explores whether Putin’s actions are those of a ruthless tyrant—or the result of strategic decision-making rooted in a complex past. This episode challenges prevailing narratives and asks: have we misunderstood Putin, and at what cost?
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