Vladimir Putin Writes Most Hilarious Anti-War Op-Ed Ever to Appear in the New York Times

We think the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg has the best take on Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s op-ed in the New York Times, urging the U.S. to be cautious on Syria:

The Vladimir Putin op-ed in the @nytimes may contain more chutzpah per square inch than any op-ed in history.

— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) September 12, 2013

Yeah, that about covers it. Here are three of the most chutzpah-filled sections of the op-ed:

No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria. But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, who would be siding with the fundamentalists. Reports that militants are preparing another attack — this time against Israel — cannot be ignored.

If Russia was really concerned about Israel’s defense, it probably wouldn’t be selling missiles to Iran.

My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.

Says this guy.

Finally, those of us who grew up fearing Russia’s “Godless commies” can’t help but take notice of Putin’s conclusion:

We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

Sounds sincere, didn’t it?