Like Hitler with German Culture, Putin Using Admiration for Russian Culture to Disorder West and Generate Domestic Support for His Wars, Lea and Taskin Say

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Dec. 23 – In the 1930s, many outside of Germany refused to believe the truth about Hitler because of their admiration for German high culture; and many Germans accepted his claim of a special German role in history for the same reason. Today, Putin is using similar admiration for Russian culture in the same way, Aaron Leya and Borukh Taskin say.
    As was the case with Hitler’s Germany almost a century ago, many in the West are unwilling to face up to what Putin is doing having convinced themselves that a country that has produced such great literature and art can’t possibly be doing what others charge it with doing  (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=67694E8A8FFB1).
    And many Russians, constantly hearing from the Kremlin about the special and superior nation of Russian culture have convinced themselves that the role for their country now being advanced by war and corruption is justified and that any criticism is motivated by envy and is thus unjustified.
    Even when the most extreme form of this invocation of culture as a form of denial of the truth does not take place, the Kremlin’s use of the undoubted cultural achievements of Russia has the effect of undercutting criticism abroad and thus slowing reaction and leading many Russians to give Putin the benefit of a doubt he does not deserve.
    And that in turn makes more Russian-initiated wars likely both because the West will remain off balance given the Russian-centric training of most Western specialists on Eurasia and the Moscow-centric vision of most Russians as well. And it is why both shortcomings must not only be criticized but clearly defeated if successors to Putin are to cease being a threat.