MAPPING GEOPOLITICS LIKE A GRANDMASTER WATCHES A CHESSBOARD. The Metaphor Holds, For Beneath The Visible Levers Of National Power Lies A Deeper Strata. This is a network of transnational influence that crosses boundaries without obstruction.
Most mainstream observers shy away from looking beneath the visible levers of national power. The remain ignorant of a deeper strata that exists before their very eyes — a network of transnational influence , strategic sacrifice, and power-brokering that spans ideologies and borders. And in that game, public perception is the pawn , leaders are knights , and the true kings and queens never appear on the board . ♞ Putin: The Strategic Operator Let's look at Putin : He's not impulsive — he's measured, historic, patient . He reads geopolitics like a student of legacy — from Tsarist to Bolshevik to post-Soviet collapse. His stoicism and unpredictability aren’t just cultural; they’re calculated optics . Does he have a “soft spot for Europe”? Maybe. But more likely, it’s a respect for its civilizational contribution — even if he sees its current leadership as compromised . One thing is for sure: he’s keenly aware of where the real power lies — and it isn’t B...