Author: Masha Gessen
Publisher: Riverhead Books, 2012
Given we live in the latter days one of the signs of the times that we are likely to witness is the expected rise of a man the Scripture describes as Gog. He is to be the man at the top, the pre-eminent Autocratic Ruler, Prince of all the Russias (Rosh, Meshech and Tubal) and the dictator of Central Europe and Germany (Magog). In the past we have been rightly reticent to say that a particular Russian leader may be the Gog, yet Christ’s return is imminent. It would be wonderful if the generation that will witness Christ’s return could also recognise the Gog of Ezekiel 38. He will be the one who will assemble the mightiest army in the history of mankind as well as being the last enemy endeavouring to annihilate the Jews, God’s chosen people, on the mountains of Israel, who will meet him with none to help.
This book review is about a man who may or may not be the Gog; but if he isn’t, then Gog will be someone just like him for Vladimir Putin is portrayed in this book as “one who is so emotionless, cruel, merciless, corrupt and so utterly void of remorse”, that he will relentlessly pursue anyone perceived as his personal enemy, through trumped up charge after charge in the corrupt Russian court system or by more subtle means outside of his own borders, just like a small minded thug seeks revenge on his enemies.
Even in his personally massaged autobiography, included in this book, he delights in calling himself a thug who as time has shown now runs his empire like a mafia boss.
Masha Geeson, the female Russian journalist and author, describes this man’s amazing rise to power, so amazing because he was almost unknown in his own country at this level: without qualifications, political experience or credentials to become the President of Russia.
The first chapter entitled ‘The Accidental President,’ describes the closing days of Boris Yeltsin’s presidency. By 1999 Yeltsin found himself on top of a very fragile pyramid with no successor, fearing persecution and imprisonment once he stepped down. His handful of loyal followers called “the family” went looking for someone they could trust and guide. The author describes the almost ridiculous events that brought Vladimir Putin to power as Prime Minister at the hands of Boris Yeltsin on the 9th August, 1999. Within 3 weeks a series of bombings began in major cities across Russia, terrorising their citizens. Panic ensued. Chechnya was blamed. The new Prime Minister had been in office for just over 1 month yet he ordered troops to be sent in (which was illegal for any Russian Prime Minister to do). The same day Putin made one of his first TV appearances. The author notes that Mr Putin used a very different kind of rhetoric from Yeltsin. He didn’t promise to bring the terrorists to justice, nor did he express compassion for the hundreds of Russians victims of the explosions. The language was of a leader who was planning to rule with his fist. His popularity soared amongst the Russian people who longed for a return of their Super Power status.
Soon it was decided Yeltsin should retire early, which by law would make Putin acting President. Mr. Putin addressed the people of Russia as its new acting President on New Year’s Eve, 1999. The book goes on to describe the election process that swept him into power, which included a hastily put together biography that was deemed necessary because no one really knew anything about him! In fact,on January 26th, 2000, exactly 2 months before the election, at the Annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the question was asked: “Who is Mr Putin?” The 4 Russian panellists looked very anxiously at each other. Over 30 seconds of silence passed then the room exploded in laughter. The author notes, “the world’s largest land mass, a land of oil, gas and nuclear warheads, had a new leader and its business and political elites had no idea who he was.”
The rest of the book goes through the many changes he has made in Russia to take it back to ‘the Soviet State’, which was a paranoid, closed system that strove to control everything and to wipe out anything that it could not control. Also included are many aspects of his Presidency until 2011 as well as the sufferings of many citizens by this evil man. Many incidents and names will be remembered as brief news articles in our newspapers that disappeared because the West wanted to perceive Russia as a democracy.
