Disclaimer, I do not believe this theory, nor am I trying to convince others. I merely put this out there as a hypothetical, which might help explain some things in world events. Could Vladimir Putin be a CIA asset? We look at his actions of the world stage, and see him as a threat to our nations interest. Our politicians tell us we must take action to "protect" those interest from "Russian expansion". Actions such as expansion of NATO, expansion of our military, and deeper involvement in the Middle East. Most recently, Putin as made a handy scapegoate to explain the Democrats loss during the election. But what if it's all a show? What if Putin is a CIA asset, who tricked the Russian bureaucracy the Russian people, and the whole world into thinking he was a nationalist leader who would "make Russia great again". He takes actions such as expanding the Russian military, annexing Crimea, and interfering in the Middle East, not enough to start World War III, just causing enough mischief to justify a "response"... Essentially, could Putin be a fake enemy, one that we ultimately control, who acts just dangerous enough to scare the American people and other world leaders into the arms of the only trustworthy superpower in the world?