conan the barbarian after a dozen donuts. he thinks this looks good. >> everything we find ridiculous about vladimir putin is very appealing in a media universe that he controls absolutely. >> perhaps the foundation of the putin juggernaut is a political truism no matter where you live. it's the economy, stupid. after the chaotic years of boris yeltsin, putin stepped in and stabilized the country, and he rode the wave of ever rising oil prices, which translated into rising wages and soaring stock indices. then in late 2014, the party stopped. oil prices slumped. and soon after came western economic sanctions.