[epgui]

I don't think that's an honest characterization of what Lex actually said about Putin. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but my impression is that Lex has a fascination for the capacity of humans to do both good and evil, and I think it's obvious from this point alone why he would have a strong desire to speak to Putin face to face.

I think there would be a lot of value in the world seeing him interview Putin. Not because of admiration, but because of what that interview could teach us about human nature.

[epgui]

Also, note that it's possible for someone to have highly admirable traits, such as intelligence, and highly despicable traits, such as evil, at the same time. Therefore it's possible to both hate and admire someone, for different reasons. Or rather, to both admire and hate different aspects of a person at the same time.