"Death on the battlefield gives your life meaning".

[Cattledog]

Putin to Mothers of killed soldiers.

[OldBaldy1701E]

1. Because I doubt that they had any before they were required to go die for Putin.

This is horrifying. Not a surprise, mind you, but still horrofying.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Are they dying for Mother Russia or for the insatiable Putin ego?

[Igel]

14. Depends on your POV.

Putin's been consistent with his Grand Cause lingo--and has for decades.

Part is power dealing behind the scenes (sometimes barely behind), but a lot of his biggest supporters support his goals. Russia is built on a strong, central state, in which the individual is subjugated to the Cause, because Russia has a glorious past and a glorious destiny.

[Zorro]

3. Hope Putin's mother will soon find meaning in her life

if she's still around.

[dutch777]

6. Right on! Or at least his wife, mistresses and kids (legit and otherwise)

[Throck]

4. Black Rain

[musclecar6]

5. Just

The "normal" thoughts of a megalomaniac psychopath.

[Kid Berwyn]

7. Psycho talk

Telling you how I benefited by your child’s sacrifice makes me feel better.

[Arthur_Frain]

8. Patriotism is making the other guy die for his country.

Not mine of course, I forget who’s pithy quotation this is.

[Irish_Dem]

9. You cleaned up a Gen. George S. Patton quote:

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

George S. Patton

[teamster633]

11. Which was Patton's take on Horace:

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
(It is sweet and proper to die for one's country)

[Arthur_Frain]

15. That's the one!

Thanks.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

10. Maybe Putin should die on the battlefield. It would finally give his life some meaning.

[gratuitous]

12. Right, Vlad

Quick, name five people who died defending Stalingrad in WWII. Or three. One?

[RockRaven]

13. dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

[maxrandb]

16. Hope Putin finds "meaning" soon and takes Donnie Dipshit on the search