There is much to be said for the barbarian virtues of defending the family, the clan, the tribe, the city state, the nation state against all who would do harm. Of course, these virtues are barbarian only to the Left, who are pleased, in the current political atmosphere, to assign to Vladimir Putin power he does not have, the better to convince themselves that the Narrative is true and that Donald Trump is a puppet with strings of silken steel who dances at Putin’s command.

But Putin is no Stalin even if he wants to be
For Russia totters on the very brink
Of stepping off the cliff and falling deep into the sea
Where many plunge and ultimately sink
The Russians produce weapons which they sell to client states
And milk the sturgeon for the caviar
But with Obama gone the frackers get to set the rates
And Russians always tend to blame the Tsar
So Putin wrestles toothless bears to cheers of country rubes
Who cannot see that all is thinning ice
While Putin makes stern faces while he’s going down the tubes
He knows that Russian oil can’t beat the price
The Yanks are just barbarians in commerce and in war
In culture and in manners so they claim
And yes we have those virtues and they’ve served us well before
So cross us and you’ve just  yourself to blame