Thursday night on All In with Chris Hayes: Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an op-ed published Wednesday in The New York Times to "speak directly to the American people and their political leaders" about the crisis in Syria. Putin made his case against potential United States involvement in Syria, arguing that the U.S. must follow international law and not take action without the approval of the United Nations Security Council. According to President Putin, Russia's opposition to U.S. strikes is not about protecting the Syrian regime, but rather protecting the sanctity of international law. The Russian president also warned of an increase in violence, terrorism, and general instability in the region if President Obama carries out a military strike. Julia Ioffe, Senior Editor at The New Republic, will join the table to discuss Putin's message.
Plus: Texas Senator Ted Cruz made waves Wednesday with his comments about former Senator Jesse Helms, known for his far-right political leanings. Senator Helms held racist and homophobic views, and filibustered the bill proposing that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday become a national holiday. Cruz praised Helms, saying, "we need a hundred more like Jesse Helms in the U.S. Senate." Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele will join Chris to talk about Cruz's controversial remarks.
Later, Chris will discuss Pope Francis' actions pointing the Catholic Church in the direction of tolerance and compassion. The pope, elected earlier this year, has projected a public image as a man of the people, driving a used car around Vatican City, taking "selfies," posting pictures to Instagram, and calling up people who write him letters. This week, Pope Francis expressed his views on atheists, implying in a letter to an Italian newspaper that those who do not belong to the church can still go to heaven if they are good people. The Vatican's new secretary of state also opened the door to discussion within the Church about allowing priests to marry in an interview with a Venezuelan paper.
Chris Hayes will also speak with Alexis Goldstein, former Wall Street professional and member of the Occupy Network, and Neil Barofsky, Former Special Inspector General in charge of oversight of TARP, as the fifth anniversary of the financial collapse approaches this weekend. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke at George Washington University Thursday about lessons learned from the 2008 disaster. Also this week, the city of Richmond, California, advanced a plan to seize its residents' underwater mortgages and help homeowners who got caught up in the housing crisis. Meanwhile, many of the Wall Street executives responsible for the financial crisis are still living large, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation.