The Chicago Tribune published an article about the strange Alexander Dugin, known as Putin’s brain. He is Putin’s Bannon.

Dugin is an unreconstructed admirer of old-style Soviet hegemony. He longs to create a Russian-Islamic alliance (including Iran) and break up the western alliance. The article describes his behind-the-scenes work to repair relations between Turkey and Russia.

“Dugin, who’s been described as everything from an occult fascist to a mystical imperialist, lost his prestigious job running the sociology department at Moscow State University in 2014 after activists accused him of encouraging genocide. Thousands of people signed a petition calling for his removal after a rant in support of separatists in Ukraine in which he said, “kill, kill, kill.”…..

“Dugin, who has long predicted the demise of “the West’s liberal hegemony,” said the election of Trump promises to change the course of world history.

“Incredibly beautiful-one of the best moments of my life,” he said after Trump’s inauguration.

“After decades of railing against Washington for seeking the “Westernization of all of humanity,” Trump’s elevation has led to a Damascene conversion for Dugin, who declared anti-Americanism “over.”

“America not only isn’t an opponent, it’s a potential ally under Trump,” he said.

“Now Dugin’s focusing on Europe, where he’s been cultivating ties with anti-establishment parties that threaten a political and military union seven decades in the making.

“With key elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands this year, the Russian polemicist has a new mantra for Europe that’s ripped straight out of Trump’s campaign playbook:

“Drain the swamp.”