Modern autocrats and despots are often film buffs. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, a former officer of the KGB, the Soviet Union spy agency, may fancy himself a Russian James Bond, an action hero astride the world stage.
Putin bears some resemblance to Daniel Craig, the current incarnation of Bond. Publicity photos preceding the release of Casino Royale (2006) showed a shirtless Craig emerging from the ocean. Shortly thereafter, photos emerged of a shirtless Putin fishing in a river.
Daniel Craig, Vladimir Putin
Putin has used many photo ops to show himself as a man of action: shooting a tiger with a tranquilizer dart, scuba diving at an archaeological site, climbing a wall at a summer youth camp, arm wrestling, riding a snowmobile, piloting a motorboat, descending to the bottom of a lake in a mini-sub, and flying a motorized hang glider.
All of this might seem harmless preening except that Putin likely feels he is free to copy another Bond trait: a license to kill. Furthermore, the synchronicity between Putin and Bond may have convinced the Russian leader that he is blessed by providence and will be successful in all his international “adventures.”
And, of course, Bond took on Pussy Galore. Putin persecuted Pussy Riot.
The movie No Time to Die put an end to Daniel Craig as James Bond. The Ukraine War may put an end to Putin. It’s a Time to Die for the Russians.
Putin bears some resemblance to Daniel Craig, the current incarnation of Bond. Publicity photos preceding the release of Casino Royale (2006) showed a shirtless Craig emerging from the ocean. Shortly thereafter, photos emerged of a shirtless Putin fishing in a river.
Daniel Craig, Vladimir Putin
Putin has used many photo ops to show himself as a man of action: shooting a tiger with a tranquilizer dart, scuba diving at an archaeological site, climbing a wall at a summer youth camp, arm wrestling, riding a snowmobile, piloting a motorboat, descending to the bottom of a lake in a mini-sub, and flying a motorized hang glider.
All of this might seem harmless preening except that Putin likely feels he is free to copy another Bond trait: a license to kill. Furthermore, the synchronicity between Putin and Bond may have convinced the Russian leader that he is blessed by providence and will be successful in all his international “adventures.”
And, of course, Bond took on Pussy Galore. Putin persecuted Pussy Riot.
The movie No Time to Die put an end to Daniel Craig as James Bond. The Ukraine War may put an end to Putin. It’s a Time to Die for the Russians.
