Considering everything he said, most of what seems to irritate the pundits is the last paragraph where he in no uncertain terms parrots what Obama has said before, that we are not an exceptional people. In many respects I can't disagree with what he sees because our exceptionalism has gotten lost in petty politics and those we've elected to engage in them. In that arena we certainly are exceptional! On too many levels!
The next most irritating thing about the article was that the Times printed it. Frankly, I'm glad they did and that they were correct in so doing. We as Americans need to be aware of the propaganda about us that is being spewed by the likes of Putin. How else will we gain any insight into how others view us. If what he says makes you angry, consider why.
The New York Post has even printed a tutorial for you. They've taken his piece and translated it into far more likely intent. It isn't flattering to say the least.
It's interesting to me that an American PR firm, Ketchem, has Russia as a client and makes an exceptional amount of money as such. It's also true that Putin is not fluent in English and no doubt had help in polishing what he wanted to say. It's discomforting in some way that an American company could make the villain look so darn good.
Having had a career in PR I can say Putin's piece is PR spin at it's best. And even though it's a spoof of sorts, the New York Post's piece nails the truth. Both have done Americans a public service. Now, read them! And think about it.
