Historically, the idea that Russia is a country under siege, surrounded by enemies and constantly on the brink of catastrophe has been central to Russian politics in general and to Putin’s politics in particular. In its propaganda campaign against Ukraine, the Kremlin has employed images dating to World War II, including the swastika. As recently as last year, Russia was mobilized to fight gay men, lesbians and other “foreign agents.” The resulting composite is that of someone a Russian television viewer might call a fascist, a Westerner, a Ukrainian, an American or some combination of those things. To Russians, any and all of these terms are shorthand for “enemy” and “danger.”
Read Full Article »
