Inside Putin's Brain

Yesterday, for the second time this year, Vladimir Putin said something that was just plain stupid.

In February, he demonstrated a breath-taking ignorance of how things are done in America when he criticized President Bush for firing Dan Rather.

Yesterday, he effectively undermined any good-will gains he intended to achieve through sending food to Africa by criticizing that continent's supposed history of cannibalism.

I honestly don't know whether any African tribe ever actually practiced cannibalism or not. I'm no student of African history. I do know that no statesman in his right mind would verbalize such a thing publicly.

It would be right up there with the Pope apologizing to the Jews for the Inquisition by saying: "We're sorry we persecuted you, you Christ-killers." It just doesn't work. It's just plain stupid.

So, what is going on in Putin's brain?

Is he taking too much vodka with his tea?

Is he too isolated by the men who say things that he wants to hear?

Is he excessively conditioned by his tenure as KGB chief and Russian head of state to say whatever he feels like with total impunity?

I do know one thing. I'm kinda' nervous with a guy like that being in control of Russia's nuclear arsenal.