Putin’s Psychological Warfare Has Finally Paid Of – Big Time

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Vladimir Putin is having his best moment in three years. For much of the war, he appeared weak, unable to achieve what many believed would be a swift victory.

Consider the sheer size of Russia compared to Ukraine. And yet, after enormous human and financial costs, Putin has only managed to occupy about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. Russia has suffered staggering losses – by some estimates 870,000 troops, alongside vast amounts of money and military equipment. His economy is in turmoil. In theory, the combined economic and military power of the U.S. and Europe could decisively tip the balance in Ukraine’s favor.

But geopolitical reality has taken a grim turn. 71 million voters made a catastrophic choice – electing a sociopathic criminal and convicted rapist to the presidency of the United States.

A lot has been written about the psychology behind this tragedy. What kind of country would elect this lying and grifting rapist not once, but twice? The answer lies in a potent mix of resentment, misinformation, and ideological extremism. Many Americans have allowed their hatred of liberals and minorities to blind them to the existential threat that a second Trump presidency poses. These voters display a troubling blend of egocentrism, racism, ignorance, delusion, and extremism.

Yet, we must not underestimate the role of a certain European dictator in this tragedy. For over a decade, Vladimir Putin has been waging psychological warfare against the West through social media and disinformation campaigns. His goal has always been to weaken Western democracies from within. And he has succeeded. Every major democracy is now plagued by far-right extremism. Societies are fractured, consumed by internal conflicts, and increasingly oblivious to the existential threats looming over them.

America is the first of Western democracies that is now in serious danger of collapsing. Trump has now – two months in power – begun defying court orders. Well at least one of them when a judge ordered his regime to return a plane containing alleged Venezuelan gang members. This marks a serious escalation. In the United States, the power is divided between three equal branches of government; the executive branch, the congress and the courts. Trump has already cowed the Republican-controlled Congress into submission. Now, he is setting his sights on undermining the courts. The question is: how far is he willing to go? I would say that with his completely deranged mental state at this moment, and all the terrible decisions he has made, eventually all the way. America is in deep, deep trouble.

The upside of all of this mayhem is that Europe is forced to get its act together – and help Ukraine to win the war. This is entirely possible because, as I wrote before, Putin is running out of money. However, intelligence provided by the US is still needed, so if Trump decides to stop sharing intel, Ukraine has to fight this war with blinders on. This is problematic and not something that is easily solved.

One immediate step Europe could take is utilizing frozen Russian assets under the Magnitsky Act to fund Ukraine’s war effort. To avoid destabilizing financial markets, this should be limited to assets proven to be acquired through corruption.

Putin is playing poker very well, but his cards – of which Trump keeps saying they’re so good – are really not that great. Unless of course, Trump really is a Russian asset for which quite a lot of evidence exists.

His latest remarks only reinforce this suspicion. This week, Trump suggested that the U.S. should take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, claiming that this would deter Russian attacks.

This idea is absurd on multiple levels. First, Russia is unlikely to target these plants due to the immense radioactive risk to its own territory. Second, if the U.S. controlled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, it could hold Ukraine hostage by shutting off power and making political demands. Most disturbingly, as defense expert Jake Broe pointed out, this move would prevent Ukraine from developing nuclear weapons – a prospect that has gained traction since NATO membership is no longer an option. Preventing Ukraine from acquiring nuclear deterrence is precisely what Putin wants. Once again, Trump appears to be acting completely in Russia’s interests rather than America’s and Europe’s. Let that sink in.

These are some of the most perilous times in modern history. This is our World War II moment, and we are only at the beginning. Yet, history provides hope: authoritarian regimes often fail. Let’s hope this collapse happens before irreparable damage is done. And if there’s one lesson we must take away from this, it is that unregulated social media has been an unmitigated disaster for the West and an extremely powerful weapon for the autocrats. It must be reined in to ensure that another Trump-style catastrophe never happens again.

Double Bill #13: Double Impact & Hard Target

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

The eighties and nineties, the decades in which I grew up in, was the era of the action movie. And one of its main heroes was Jean-Claude Van Damme (real name: Jean-Claude Van Varenberg). For this Double Bill, I rewatched two of his most enjoyable and nostalgic movies of this period: Double Impact (1991) and Hard Target (1993). In the first one he plays a set of twin brothers, so it has double the Van Damage. The brothers go after a bunch of gangsters in Hong Kong who murdered their parents when they were babies. It has great bad guys, who are stylishly dispatched by the two Van Damme characters using both martial arts and a variety of firearms. The greatest threat is the triad member played by Bolo Yeung, a legendary Chinese martial arts expert who is also in Enter the Dragon and Van Damme’s Bloodsport. The final duel with him is one of the highlights of the movie. The film’s director Sheldon Lettich also directed Wrong Bet in 1990, another Van Damme classic. He is no John Woo, but skillful enough to give the audience what it wants: violent, bloody action and some humor on the side. Hard Target has plenty of this as well, but the choreography of the action scenes is of a whole different level. Van Damme takes on a gang of despicable white men, led by Lance Henriksen, who organize manhunts for the rich and bored. Van Damme’s character Chance grew up in the New Orleans Bayou and knows a thing or two about survival and asskicking. When he becomes the quarry of their next hunt, the roles are quickly reversed and we get to witness some of the most satisfying kills of Van Damme’s career. Hong Kong director John Woo’s American debut was produced by Robert Tappert and Sam Raimi (of Evil Dead fame). It is easy to see why they liked this project: Woo’s visual style is so immensely cool it matches Raimi’s. His action is an art form, a ballet of blood, bullets, explosions, falling bodies and flying kicks in slow motion. These are two classics of the era and highly enjoyable as a Double Bill.

TV Dungeon: Kung Fu

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

(1972 – 1975, USA)

Creators: Ed Spielman, Herman Miller
Cast: David Carradine (Kwai Chang Caine), Radames Pera (Young Caine), Keye Luke (Master Po), Philip Ahn (Master Kan)

3 Seasons (63 Episodes)

Kwai Chang Caine, a soft-spoken Shaolin priest exiled from China, wanders the savage American West of the mid-19th century. In each episode, he faces conflicts and hardships – whether injustice, violence, or intolerance – and relies on the teachings of his Shaolin monastery to navigate them. Through meditation, wisdom, and only when necessary, martial arts, Caine brings a sense of peace to a world ruled by chaos.

The show’s brilliance lies in its concept: placing a man trained in Taoist philosophy and Shaolin kung fu in the lawless, brutal Old West. The contrast is striking – while the West is filled with bandits, bigotry, and corruption, Caine embodies patience, serenity, and justice. His presence suggests that even a land steeped in violence can be redeemed through wisdom. The Taoist teachings interwoven throughout the show are its greatest strength, offering insights into paradoxes, balance, and a way of seeing the world differently. This depth of philosophy is what makes Kung Fu one of my all-time favorite series.

Yet, there is even more to appreciate. The sweeping American landscapes provide a breathtaking backdrop, immersing viewers in the setting. David Carradine, though regrettably not of Chinese descent (a disappointing yet unsurprising casting decision for the time), delivers a performance that is both mesmerizing and quietly powerful. His portrayal of Caine is nuanced, capturing both his gentleness and his underlying strength.

The series also boasts an impressive lineup of guest stars, many of whom later became household names, such as Jodie Foster, Harrison Ford, Barbara Hershey, Don Johnson, Carl Weathers, and many others. Their early appearances add to the show’s charm, making each episode a delight to revisit.

In today’s turbulent and uncertain world, Kung Fu remains a source of comfort and inspiration. While we may not be able to solve all of the world’s problems, Caine’s approach teaches us how to handle our own struggles with patience and wisdom. He fights only when absolutely necessary and never to kill, making this series a rare example of an action show that is fundamentally about non-violence.

Watching Kung Fu is an enlightening experience – it calms the mind, expands the spirit, and offers a guiding philosophy for life. It’s a show that doesn’t just entertain; it makes you wiser. I’m forever grateful for the lessons it has taught me, and I remain a lifelong student of Taoist philosophy because of it.

Read also: The Tao of Kwai Chang Caine

Graphic Novel Classics: The Thirteenth Floor

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Graphic novel which ran from 1984 till 1987 in the weekly comic magazines Scream! and Eagle. The story is about a tower building and the A.I. Max that governs it. Max his primary directive is ensuring the welfare of his tenants, a job he takes extremely seriously. Whenever their wellbeing is being threatened by outsiders, he takes these perps to the thirteenth floor, a nightmarish virtual world Max invented, where he can treat them to a frightening punishment for their wrongdoings. We, as readers, quickly become accomplices of the friendly Max, who has the most creative mind for coming up with the most fiendish lessons for horrible people who deserve a lesson. But after more and more people start dying or disappearing, a nosy detective figures something strange might be happening at Maxwell Tower… The beautiful black and white art work is drawn by José Ortiz and the stories are written by John Wagner and Alan Grant. Rebellion Developments, who also re-published classic ‘The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire’ by Don Lawrence, recently published ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ in a number of beautiful books. Highly recommended. Not to be confused with the science fiction movie The Thirteenth Floor (1999) which is also about virtual worlds.