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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: Putin on the blitz Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 5, 2015 at 11:01 PM Posted Mar. 5, 2015 at 11:01 PM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter... » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter or email [email protected] .   » Social News When viewing the situation in Russia from the Anglosphere, Westerners are baffled by the aggressive and counterproductive tactics being employed by Moscow's irascible czar, Vladimir Putin. But one does not have to look very far into Putin's past to understand his tactics. They are, in fact, uncomplicated and repetitive. The American view of Putin's adventure into Ukraine, and earlier, into Georgia and Chechnya, is that of a reckless and jingoistic dictator bent on isolating himself from other regional and world powers. But look a little closer, and his mechanizations bear a distinct hallmark; where continuity of power is concerned, uncertainty and terror are his favorite weapons. That mark is no mistake; It is less about isolation than it is about insulation. At the end of the day, the reason behind the Kremlin's geopolitical undertakings is fairly dull. It is not about security, or a strongly held worldview. In fact, it's all about money. Inside the Kremlin and the internal political and security apparatus of Russia, order is king, with Putin at the very top of the food chain. But outside the walls of the Kremlin, chaos is his friend. The reason for this is simple; the ongoing kleptocratic powerhouse that is the Putin Era in Russia can only function on the backs of a confused, terrified, and cowed populace. So long as Putin represents himself as the only man with strength enough to battle the external threats to Mother Russia, he will be able to retain power, and to continue to enrich himself and his cronies. By some estimates, the Putin family alone has squirreled away as much as $40 billion so far. Putin's rise came as the result of two core elements. Because of his own elite internal relationships, he was a man who was guaranteed not to look too closely at the robust private fortunes of his predecessor, the equally corrupt Boris Yeltsin. Putin also headed the FSS, the principal security agency of the Russian Federation, beginning in 1998. During that time, he established himself as a man who would take a strong-arm approach to any and all threats to Russia, whether invented or real. Opponents among the Russian opposition have suggested that a series of apartment bombings by Chechnyan separatists in 1999 were actually orchestrated by the FSS in order to establish their boss as a man who could lead in a crisis. If this was true, the scam worked. He was installed as president by the end of 1999, and has been the de facto leader of Russia ever since. Putin is the ultimate vulture in a gilded cage. Were he to abandon his linchpin position in the establishment, he would have few friends at home, and fewer abroad. In order to escape the weight of his own prepollence, he would need to make sure he was installing a friend to replace him, and friends are hard to come by. Nobody can say for sure what he is capable of when cornered, but there is a strong suspicion that the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer, as well as the assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, gunned down outside the Kremlin just last week, can be traced to the Russian presidency and its proxies. These killings are a microcosmic representation of what Putin wants as a whole. Thanks to an anemic response from the United States and Western Europe, he appears to be getting it — a dysfunctional power structure that will continue to benefit him, even if it means creating a false flag operation in Ukraine, the result of which is death and misery. That level of Machiavellian corruption should indicate to the world that it will be dealing with Putin, and his policy of plunder, for many years to come. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. 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