Memory Wars… Culture Wars

The core of Putinism is as follows:

A strong state: Means tight control, with a vertical of power from the top to the bottom. The Tsar controls all that happens in the state, and a rejection of liberal values or property values, or the rule of law would affect this vertical of power.

The belief spread across Russian society is that democracy is a foreign principle and that any time foreign ideas penetrate Russia, the state becomes weak. This is why the Revolutions of 1905 and 1917 are almost silent in the popular telling of Russian history. This is also why the chaos of the 1990s cannot be allowed ever to happen again. It was the beginning of the dissolution and destruction of the state. It was due to the entry of Western ideas of democracy and free markets.

An independent way of development: Russia is unique in the history of the world. Ergo, its development is very Russian. This goes back 1000 years, though the events that Russians care about in official history and those that don’t are carefully curated.

At no point will they talk of how strong the state was under Peter the Great and Catherine, while at the same time pointing out that both spoke French at court and embraced the European Enlightenment. Granted, their ideology did not spread beyond the palace out of fear of a peasant revolt.

A Millenarian mission: Russians (and many Americans) believe at an end of days mission. This is a process where Russia will guide humanity toward a great future. It’s one…