Thus Der Spiegel today. “Some like to idealize Vladimir Putin as the ideological successor to the left-wing Soviet leaders, but that’s sheer nonsense,” elaborates the newspaper. “His speeches offer clear evidence that his points of reference originate in fascism.” The whole article is about the Russian leader, whose popularity has soared in Russia as of late. “In order to understand Vladimir Putin, “ the article opens, “you have to listen to him.” And it closes with his words about death. At the end of a recent television appearance, he told the viewers that death is not necessarily horrible. It is actually beautiful if it serves the people. “That’s as fascist as it gets,” the article concludes. As history shows, though, the led tell a great deal about their leaders. For instance, understanding Adolf Hitler is far less useful than understanding the Germans of his time. Those who lead are made by the led rather than the other way around. So, what about the Russians of this day and age? The real question is whether Putin’s followers are post-Communist or post-Fascist.