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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Pathetic Lives of Putin's American Dupes.
A tragically large number of left-wing Westerners in the 20th century deluded themselves about the horrors of Soviet communism. As awful and unforgivable as it was, the process by which they made themselves into dupes was at least explicable: They loved socialism, and one country in the world was implementing socialism, so they persuaded themselves, and for a while, it was working.
Todays Russia dupes are a smaller, more pathetic lot. Above all they are just plain weirder, because they lack a clear ideological motive for their stoogery. Soviet Russia not only commanded a vast propaganda network, but embodied a doctrine with international appeal (and which had originated outside of Russia). Vladimir Putins Russia follows no model except Russian nationalism. To the extent it employs a non-nationalist philosophy, its main idea is that gays have weakened Europe. And yet the dupes still come.
The most prominent intellectual apologist for Putin is Stephen F. Cohen, Princeton professor, Russologist for the left-wing Nation. Cohen is a septuagenarian, old-school leftist who has carried on the mental habits of decades of anti-anti-communism seamlessly into a new career of anti-anti-Putinism. The Cohen method is to pick away at every indictment of the Russian regime without directly associating himself with its various atrocities. Is Putin persecuting gays? Well, Cohen wants us to know that various Ukrainians nationalists dislike gays, too. And also Barack Obamas claim to snub Sochi because of gay rights is probably not on the level. Is Putin bullying and killing journalists? Eh, says Cohen, Every time a journalist breaks a leg, they say the Kremlin did it. Accidents happen.
The primary hub of Russian propaganda in the West is Russia Today, an English-language Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet. Joe Pompeo reported last fall how RT has actually acquired a devoted following in the West, in part through relentless viral YouTube sharing of its reports. Cohen, of course, appears regularly on RT. (Is RT biased? Well, he says, so is CNN: Im highly suspicious about the narrative Im getting on CNN. It seems to be the flip side of RT.)
Todays Russia dupes are a smaller, more pathetic lot. Above all they are just plain weirder, because they lack a clear ideological motive for their stoogery. Soviet Russia not only commanded a vast propaganda network, but embodied a doctrine with international appeal (and which had originated outside of Russia). Vladimir Putins Russia follows no model except Russian nationalism. To the extent it employs a non-nationalist philosophy, its main idea is that gays have weakened Europe. And yet the dupes still come.
The most prominent intellectual apologist for Putin is Stephen F. Cohen, Princeton professor, Russologist for the left-wing Nation. Cohen is a septuagenarian, old-school leftist who has carried on the mental habits of decades of anti-anti-communism seamlessly into a new career of anti-anti-Putinism. The Cohen method is to pick away at every indictment of the Russian regime without directly associating himself with its various atrocities. Is Putin persecuting gays? Well, Cohen wants us to know that various Ukrainians nationalists dislike gays, too. And also Barack Obamas claim to snub Sochi because of gay rights is probably not on the level. Is Putin bullying and killing journalists? Eh, says Cohen, Every time a journalist breaks a leg, they say the Kremlin did it. Accidents happen.
The primary hub of Russian propaganda in the West is Russia Today, an English-language Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet. Joe Pompeo reported last fall how RT has actually acquired a devoted following in the West, in part through relentless viral YouTube sharing of its reports. Cohen, of course, appears regularly on RT. (Is RT biased? Well, he says, so is CNN: Im highly suspicious about the narrative Im getting on CNN. It seems to be the flip side of RT.)
*SNIP*
The demise of communism has left a void in the place where socialist fervor once animated the Soviet dupes. In the absence of any positive motivating force, Putins Russia, which has positioned itself as Americas main rival, has sponged up whatever motley collection of outsiders it can find. Russia is not the vessel for their ideological fantasies, but merely a placeholder for their accumulated discontent.
Article from 2014 that's still relevant since Cohen is still at it...
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The Pathetic Lives of Putin's American Dupes. (Original Post)
JHan
Mar 2017
OP
It's important to realize what Cohen has posted in the past because he has a platform
KittyWampus
Mar 2017
#4
thanks for bringing this to our attention. I have to say it appear the Left
KittyWampus
Mar 2017
#11
Eyeball_Kid
(7,430 posts)1. Thanks for posting
ck4829
(35,039 posts)2. I think a lot of it has to do with binary thinking
One can be critical of the American media and military industrial complex AND say that the Putin regime is a band of thieves and killers who are dragging Russia down.
It seems as though too many people fail to see this though.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)4. It's important to realize what Cohen has posted in the past because he has a platform
to spew pro-Putin crap. And he is using it.
Coventina
(27,064 posts)5. Yes, now in "The Nation"!!!
JHan
(10,173 posts)7. I routinely avoid his articles for that reason.
JHan
(10,173 posts)6. Yep, good to know his track record ( and others)
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)11. thanks for bringing this to our attention. I have to say it appear the Left
has some people in its midst that are not what they seem.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)8. epic kick
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)9. Kicking your kick!