Reply to Why do people think Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union?

Forum Index » Political Discussion

Reply to "Why do people think Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Putin's relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church doesn't sound like "reviving the Soviet Union" to me[/quote]
 He exploited them for cynical political purposes …  to gain a patina of moral credibility when he has none … [/quote]

Not sure how this validates the "reviving the Soviet Union" argument.[/quote]

https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Wild-Blue-Yonder/Article-Display/Article/3511835/the-unexpected-theologian-the-rise-of-religious-messaging-in-putins-re-making-o/

[b]The Unexpected Theologian: The Rise of Religious Messaging in Putin’s Re-making of Russian State Identity[/b]

Published Aug. 31, 2023
By Lt Col Dustin M. Hart and Dr. Robert S. Hinck

As war rages in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s reputation as the “most evil man in the world” continues to grow across the Western world.[1] Despite this critical international view, Putin has maintained a two-decade stranglehold on Russian power in part by projecting a spiritual persona reconnecting himself and Russian identity to the Orthodox Church. This spiritual resurgence may seem odd considering that, for nearly 75 years of communist rule, Christianity in the Soviet Union was violently repressed at the hands of the very same government Putin himself served and protected as an intelligence agent. However, upon closer examination, one can see that this religious revival serves a strategic purpose. That is, Putin’s usage of Orthodox Christian faith and its connection to Russian history acts as a central component of his domestic and international efforts to return Russia to glory by promoting domestic cohesion, justifying malign foreign policy actions, and generating cultural friction within and amongst his Western rivals.

[b]The Return to Religion[/b]
Understanding Putin’s strategic use of religious narratives as an effective tool to influence Russian society today first requires consideration of the nation’s spiritual past. The connection between Christianity and Russian culture dates back to 988, when Vladimir, King of Rus, accepted Christianity and established itself as a Christian nation by baptizing a large number of people in modern day Ukraine.[2] This religious identity grew when, following the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Russia mythologized itself as the Third Rome. This granted Russian Czars greater spiritual and political legitimacy while also imbuing the nation with a holy destiny to redeem humanity through continuation of the Orthodox faith. …

[b]Conclusion and Recommendations[/b]
As Russia continues to struggle on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine against an adversary primarily funded by the US and Western partners, Putin’s propaganda efforts will increase as he attempts to maintain public support and further drive cultural divides among his adversaries. Considering previous speeches, Putin will continue to turn to religious themes to drive these points home. With Russia’s foreign policy and battlefield exploits drawing ire from much of the liberal Western world, Putin will continue to use religious narratives to elevate his nation’s moral standing wherever possible while simultaneously attempting to discredit Western liberal values.

While challenging, the US has several options for countering Putin’s religious propaganda. To best approach a counter strategy, the US should target the various aspects of the Russian disinformation chain, starting first with its leadership and then moving through the propaganda organs, amplification channels, and finally the consumers of the information.[17] First, there are ample opportunities for the US and Western partners to highlight the hypocrisy of Russian actions in comparison to Putin’s religious narratives. Repression of human rights within Russia, the sordid personal lives of senior leaders, and the government’s heinous foreign policy actions provide plenty of examples where the “Christian bastion” has fallen well outside most religious norms. The West has also made steady progress against Russian propaganda platforms as the European Union banned Russia Today in March 2022 and RT America shut down operations amidst US pressure soon after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Finally, America’s most important defense against Putin’s propaganda likely rests within its own domestic audience. The US must focus on its own internal democratic strength to offset Putin’s agitative messaging. The most recent US National Security Strategy, released by the Biden administration in October 2022, highlighted the importance of a strong and diverse US democracy that accepts dissenting views as part of the democratic experiment.[18] Bolstering these democratic values and creating a more open environment for a free flow of ideas and discussion in the US and within other Western partners will not only help defend against Putin’s divisive rhetoric but also help return liberal democracy to a place of emulation around the world.
Putin is not the first and certainly won’t be the last leader to abuse religious faith as justification to conduct heinous actions. The US and Western partners must counter this latest example of religious appropriation to solidify Putin’s “evil” reputation before more of the world views the unexpected theologian as the “miracle defender of Christianity.”[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics