I always got the impression that the notion that leftists 'support' Putin was mostly constructed through think pieces by liberal-leaning (and I suppose conservative too), and without a grounding in reality. There do exist sections of the left who 'back' Putin in an ill advised 'anti-imperialist' manner, but never really on an ideological level - and those tend to support Assad using the same reasoning (and oddly sticking up their nose at genuine leftist movements in the region). There's a tendency I've noticed among liberal media (see the Daily Beast, for instance, essentially the Irvines of the media pundit world) that relishes red baiting and pushes a 'reds under the bed' Cold War mentality in regards to Russia.
I despise it immensely.
I was thinking about this too. I think that aside from the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' reflex - as if Anglo/American objectives in the world are not corrupt when they aren't incoherent - there is maybe a wariness in some quarters about buying into the whole kit and kaboodle.
Once you embrace Putin's Russia as The Big Bad - as opposed to a, middling to largeish, bad - you're halfway to endorsing the next shooting war. And it's not as though the US and its allies have clean hands here, tearing up the Gorbachev-era assurances and actively seeking to expand NATO as far as they can push it. I don't trust anything I read in the 'quality press', not anymore, not at face value anyway
Of course some do go to the opposite extreme, vis a vis Putin and Assad, and some fall right down the rabbit hole altogether (The Guardian's obscure bete noire 'Off Guardian', springs to mind). Some of that doesn't come from any identifiable left perspective.
I have so many opinions on this matter, it would take me days to get through. Another thing, I'm not sure liberal media want to recognise just how common Putin's brand of national-conservatism is across Europe - not in the paranoid sense of 'he's fuelling these governments!!!' but that this is so widespread at the moment. You look at the Polish and Ukrainian regimes, and I'm stunned just how much they mirror Russia whilst being so firmly opposed to them.
Banks not playing like he'd never played rugby at all and it would have been closer!
I must admit I have no idea where the narrative of "Hillary wants war with Russia" came from. Nobody's stupid enough to want a US vs Russia showdown. Well, OK, the lunatics on the far-right would love to fight Putin, or at least would've until they discovered they love Trump and - by extension - all strongmen. Even if there is an escalation in tensions, shit right now isn't even close to Cold War levels and the worst I can imagine is a proxy war in Syria/Iraq.
I can't believe this fact somehow eluded me. He was always a favourite of mine.
And fun fact: the silly action-adventure novel I wrote as a kid had a lead character called Zinzan.
I don't know if Hillary (read: US foreign policy establishment) wants war with Russia, but not much would have to go wrong in the next year or two for US planes to find themselves shooting down Russian planes in Syria.
I must be honest, I thought you were fairly Putin-leaning, and some of your posts on FYM certainly give the impression of being more cynical of the West than of Russia. I consider the current Russian regime to be a fairly serious threat to left-wing goals and global security, in no small part because of its permanent seat on the UN Security Council. I do not trust Putin as far as I could throw him, and it's worrisome the way Russia is drifting into such drab authoritarianism. New Zealand was famously described in the early twentieth century as "socialism without doctrines"; to appropriate that, I feel Russia is now "authoritarianism without doctrines".
This is a good point. Holy shit the current Polish government is proper nuts.
I've never really been 'Putin-leaning', but I'd like to think I have a better grasp of him than many media pundits and understand why he has the support he does (with the understanding that evoking patriotism in war time boosts approval ratings, and his weren't great as recently as 2011/12 - and heck, if it worked for fucking Yeltsin in Chechnya it can work for anyone!).
I still very much see him as a continuation of Yeltsin but with a much more 'respectable' image for the masses. And of course leftists are a threat to him, is it hard to understand why Udaltsov is still locked up whilst Navalny isn't now?
Without even going into the ridiculous power the Catholic church has there, the fact that the ruling party keep on peddling the conspiracy theory that Russia somehow downed Lech Kaczynski's plane near Smolensk is baffling. That they backed a film released this year on this topic is incredible.
Add to that, like Hungary and Ukraine, there is barely any semblance of a left remaining there.
To be fair I really had to postwhore to kill the last one
I still fart around on the Internet way too much so I have no real excuse.
That's me again!
At least, once I've unpacked fully.
I still remember when Putin came to power and he was seen to be this exciting, youthful, possibly even reformist, leader. In hindsight it's a little hard to understand why. But geez I remember 13 year old me thinking he came across as way more charismatic than Yeltsin, and we were still in the delusion that an age of global peace was dawning.
Hahaha, part of me wants to see this film. Oh Poland, you keep continuing that crazy history of yours. Let's not even start on Hungary.
What's your take on Ukraine at the moment? I admit I've completely taken my eye off the ball there.
And as for Syria I have fuck-all idea what to even make of it any more. Omnishambles of the greatest proportions.
Yeah I've actually unpacked fairly quickly after all my moves. But oh god I used to be shocking after travelling. Would live out of my suitcase for a good couple of weeks after getting home. Surprised I no longer do it.
Most people after a good few glasses of wine probably just reach for chips or something as a snack, but my father raised me well. Hello cheese and crackers.
I was too young to remember properly but my understanding is that Putin was well liked by the Western media - the very types who write cartoonish think pieces on him now!
I think that further adds to my point. He was 'alright' for them until he went out of line of what they wanted from a post-transition Russia.
I didn't think anyone had any other choice!
I must admit I was sort of tempted to wander across the road and get some beer and chips.
But I already have wine, cheese, and crackers. Laziness wins.