Let’s continue analyzing Putin’s speech, shall we?
They once sponsored Islamic extremist movements to fight the Soviet Union. Those groups got their battle experience in Afghanistan and later gave birth to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The West if not supported, at least closed its eyes, and, I would say, gave information, political and financial support to international terrorists’ invasion of Russia (we have not forgotten this) and the Central Asian region’s countries. Only after horrific terrorist attacks were committed on US soil itself did the United States wake up to the common threat of terrorism.
In Putin-speak “international terrorists’ invasion of Russia” stands for Russia’s wars in Chechnya. Putin is upset that the international community (which, for him, consists solely of Americans and their puppets) did not side with Russia in these wars. He states directly that he sees no difference between the terrorists of 9/11 and the Chechens who fought against Russia.
During my conversations with American and European leaders, I always spoke of the need to fight terrorism together, as a challenge on a global scale. We cannot resign ourselves to and accept this threat, cannot cut it into separate pieces using double standards. Our partners expressed agreement, but a little time passed and we ended up back where we started. First there was the military operation in Iraq, then in Libya, which got pushed to the brink of falling apart. Why was Libya pushed into this situation? Today it is a country in danger of breaking apart and has become a training ground for terrorists.
It is obvious from this excerpt that Putin couldn’t care less about Lybia or Iraq. What drives him nuts is that the US makes decisions about these countries without asking for Putin’s permission. I know it sounds completely bizarre but most Russians are convinced that they are a (if not the) global superpower and that nothing in the world should happen without Russia’s approval.
We sometimes get the impression that our colleagues and friends are constantly fighting the consequences of their own policies, throw all their effort into addressing the risks they themselves have created, and pay an ever-greater price.
“Colleagues and friends” here are obviously a sarcastic reference to the members of NATO. The message that the problems in the Middle East were caused by Americans is very seductive to many people in the West. Putin is deftly exploiting the extreme patriotism of the Liberal Americans and tapping into many of their closely held beliefs.
Clarissa's Blog 
What would it take for the Americans to stop seeing the world entirely in terms of themselves, whether is is to indulge in their guilt complex or blaming complexes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lhx1M2kmmQ
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If even Putin sees the world entirely in terms of Americans, what can we expect from Americans themselves? Putin, with all his ultra patriotism, isn’t even capable of making a speech that will not be 100% about Americans. This is completely insane! And nobody is noticing!
(Except me and you). 🙂
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It’s just the same as Mugabe with his Britain complex and his Queen complex. But is it true or isn’t it that If American and Britain have a group collective identity that is narcissistic, they will welcome any attention whether good or bad?
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“But is it true or isn’t it that If American and Britain have a group collective identity that is narcissistic, they will welcome any attention whether good or bad?”
– I don’t know about the Brits, but Americans welcome good or bad attention depending on their political leanings. It’s extremely easy to find out who a person votes for by saying “The US is a fantastic country!” Liberals look bored and dejected while Conservatives look happy. But if you say, “The US is the worst country in the world!”, Liberals perk up. Mind you, it has to be THE WORST in the world. Just “bad” doesn’t cut it with them. They need the title of THE somethingest in the universe. 🙂 🙂
Now cue an irate comment from reader Hattie. 🙂 🙂
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In fact, the British were more keen to have their authority over the allegedely illegal regime of Rhodesia restored, rather than to bignote themselves until kingdom come. After that, they didn’t care what happened to Zimbabwe itself, at least not very much. It was all about not having their paternal authority publicly denied or scoffed at.
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I’d put the accents somewhat differently…
For instance, why exactly is Chechnya fundamentally different from Syria, for example? In both cases we have the struggle with some noble initial goals quickly descending into chaos and violence with religious motivations, and eventually into international jihad-286 and jihad-352, respectively. I do not see much evidence that the West supported Chechens to the extent it supported the so called “moderate Syrian rebels” (in both cases Saudis and other Gulf monarchies were the major players), but Western propaganda support was definitely there. And in both cases it looked exactly the same – confusing the PR statements of the relatively moderate relatively secular leaders who have full control at best over their own bunker with the reality on the ground. Chechens, Syrians and everyone else are just humans, equally likely to succumb to primitive forms of nationalism and religious fanaticism and to commit atrocities in the name of the “right cause”… By the way, I do not even think that the West’s main motivation is to weaken its geopolitical rivals (even if the West itself believes this is its goal 🙂 ). I guess it is much more about unprofessionalism fueled by being enamored with one’s image in one’s own eyes, the image of the “enlightened ones”, the “protectors of democracy”, and the like.
—What drives him nuts is that the US makes decisions about these countries without asking for Putin’s permission.
But why should the US make decisions about any countries other than the US? I do not think that US has to ask permission from Putin in particular, but I actually would not oppose some enlightened and clearly morally superior martians coming and teaching the US a lesson to mind its own business. Preferably nonviolently. So there is some partial truth in Putin’s words. My problem is not with Putin’s attitude towards the US. It is with Putin being a hypocrite. He calls the West immoral only to insist that now Russia has the right to do all those immoral things the West is doing… And has a nerve to call those things moral when Russia is doing them. I am actually wondering if he understands this contradiction and is making some calculated decisions regardless, or if he is as enamored by Russia’s image the same way the West is enamored with the idealized image of the West?.. Do Russians and Americans butt their heads all the time because they see, in each other, like in the mirror, their own bullshit, grotesquely exaggerated?
—The message that the problems in the Middle East were caused by Americans…
Not all problems are caused by the Americans. But significant number of them is indeed caused by the West. Both as colonial legacy and as a result of recent meddling. (To think otherwise is equivalent to stating that Chechen problems have nothing to do with Russia.) American invasion in Iraq to free Iraq from Saddam caused more casualties than Saddam. Again, the problem is not with the message, but with the messenger. Putin is not in a position to teach others… But for exactly the same reasons the West as it currently functions is not in a position to call Putin on his bullshit without sounding hypocritical.
This conflict will be won by the side that manages to evolve into truly more ethical stance first. And I am not very optimistic about West’s ability to do that fast enough…Unfortunately, re-learning this lesson may require war…
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Thank you, valter07. I knew that at least somebody had to be paying attention. 🙂
“I do not see much evidence that the West supported Chechens to the extent it supported the so called “moderate Syrian rebels” (in both cases Saudis and other Gulf monarchies were the major players), but Western propaganda support was definitely there.”
– You can find somebody in the Western media blabbing on any topic both positively and negatively. As for some monolithic propaganda, Chechnya was never important enough for that. Only events of the 9/11 magnitude merit monolithic propaganda.
“Chechens, Syrians and everyone else are just humans, equally likely to succumb to primitive forms of nationalism and religious fanaticism and to commit atrocities in the name of the “right cause”…”
– I agree completely. But I believe that there are people who are entitled to judge them and people who aren’t.
“I guess it is much more about unprofessionalism fueled by being enamored with one’s image in one’s own eyes, the image of the “enlightened ones”, the “protectors of democracy”, and the like.”
– But Americans are the enlightened protectors of democracy compared to Putin. And compared to most of the rest of the world, as well. Americans have legalized gay marriage in many states and within 3 years will legalize it everywhere in the country. And the Russians are removing a state of an iPhone because it engages in the propaganda of sodomy. After making this small comparison, it’s hard for me to avoid seeing the former as enlightened and the latter as barbaric.
“But why should the US make decisions about any countries other than the US?”
– After 1945, the desire to get involved in Western Europe among Americans was nil. There was an enormous resistance in the Congress to any involvement. And at first, the Americans managed to achieve their goal of not having anything to do with the Europeans.
And then it became clear that the Germans were starving (literally starving, starving to death) and the Brits were about to get to that point, too. So the Americans got over their enormous reluctance and rebuilt Europe. And now Europe is what it is. (In this story I’m relying on Tony Judt’s book on post-war Europe which I still haven’t finished reviewing.)
But that process of rebuilding Europe set up a certain system of relations with the Western European countries and later the Eastern European countries. Then that relationship started dominating the logic of Americans’ relations with other countries all over the world. And now it’s a little bit too late to ask “Why should the US make decisions?” Let’s be fair historically and remember that the first time when Americans had to make decisions for others on such scale, they were very reluctant to do so. We all know that I’m not likely to exaggerate the US’s importance for winning WWII (which importance was nil, as I keep insisting). But everything good that happened in Europe in the immediate post-war period was of their making. And once again – very reluctant making.
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” I do not think that US has to ask permission from Putin in particular, but I actually would not oppose some enlightened and clearly morally superior martians coming and teaching the US a lesson to mind its own business.”
– (Sorry, I have to answer in bits because I’m on my way to a hair-dresser’s and have to use the app and not a computer.) The Martians will be better suited to this role because they will have never eaten from the US’s hand and begged for help only to then turn around and say, “Oh, just mind your business already.”
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“Not all problems are caused by the Americans. But significant number of them is indeed caused by the West. Both as colonial legacy and as a result of recent meddling. (To think otherwise is equivalent to stating that Chechen problems have nothing to do with Russia.) American invasion in Iraq to free Iraq from Saddam caused more casualties than Saddam.”
– I don’t like to speak about the war in Iraq because I have no idea what happened there. But I have a very good book on the subject that I will read during the holidays and then I will be better informed. But for now I’m not ready for this discussion.
“But for exactly the same reasons the West as it currently functions is not in a position to call Putin on his bullshit without sounding hypocritical.
This conflict will be won by the side that manages to evolve into truly more ethical stance first.”
– The side where people live without daily and massive bribery, where protesters are not in jail, where elections are not rigged and gay iPhones are not dismantled is already light years ahead in terms of being more ethical.
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IMHO you are selecting everything that is good in the West and comparing it to Putin. Of course the West turns out morally superior… Unfortunately, the downside of the self-regulatory mechanisms that make the West so effective is that they do not stimulate the best in people.
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Can you name anything that is better anywhere in the world than in the West?
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Define “better”. Yes, there is still an abundance of material goods. But at what cost? I mean psychological costs (e.g. of owing something throughout one’s life, for education, mortgage, etc, etc), the health-related costs associated with deregulated food and pharma industries… The degree of ignorance of average people is staggering… The self-regulatory mechanisms that make this system so stable and effective also stifle the evolution towards something better. And let’s admit it – the West and the US in particular are the beneficiaries of the system where the rest of the world is subsidizing them, and they use disproportional amounts of world’s resources. This situation is not sustainable in the long run (unless one physically bombs all the competitors). And when it finally breaks down – I am not at all sure if the Americans will behave in a more civilized manner than the Russians, for example.
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The trauma experienced as a result of paying off a mortgage and the trauma of FGM or stoning of gays or adulterers are different traumas. We live in societies that can afford to have psychological problems. This is already an enormous achievement. The rest of the world is still struggling to stay alive.
Whatever happens in the future, at this point the achievements in the standard of living – and I’m not even talking about economic well – being – of the West are absolutely unparalleled. And for this reason, I believe that Americans are absolutely entitled to chastise and lecture Russians. Of course, Americans are not perfect. They elected Rauner last night, for fucks sake. But they are definitely light years ahead of Russians who elected Putin.
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Loved the writing and your thoughts on it, all five pieces. Unsurprisingly, I thought it was a good speech by Putin.
” I know it sounds completely bizarre but most Russians are convinced that they are a (if not the) global superpower and that nothing in the world should happen without Russia’s approval.” – lol
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