"Russia vs. The West" Trilogy (Part 2 of 3) ~ "Putriotism"

PUTRIOTISM: devoted love, support and defence of Putin.

In my previous post I discussed the macho aspect of Putinocracy and why many Russians are so proud of his 'alpha-male' foreign policy. Now I want to further explore what I think are core aspects of zealous support for Putin, which I’ll call Putriotism.

One of the difficulties I've had in debating with 'Putriots' is that they readily become defensive and deflect any discussions towards an attack on 'The West / USA'. This is an effective fallacious argument commonly known as 'two wrongsmake a right' or 'tu quoque' (you also) when used against you personally. For example, if I point out that Putin has invaded a sovereign nation on a manufactured pretext, they quickly remind me that the US invaded Iraq on false claims of WMDs. The argument is that both actions are wrong but since I do not criticise the US then I should not be criticising Putin. However, this argument fails if I explain that both actions are wrong and that I criticise the US just as much as Putin.

HYPOCRISY

In my mind, the USA has very little moral standing in the world right now. I'm not going to detail the multitude of reasons but John Kerry's:

“You just don’t invade another country on phony pretext in order to assert your interests … This is an act of aggression that is completely trumped up in terms of its pretext. It’s really 19th century behavior in the 21st century.”

is a perfect example of US hypocrisy that Putin relies on to whip up support. The thrust of Putin's propaganda machine has been on fixating Russians on the West's hypocrisy. Incidentally, it's also a sign of Russian insecurity that the US wasn't satisfied with the collapse of the USSR and wants to finish off Russia. What astounds me is that Putriots do not recognise the fallacy and the ethical flaw in such logic: «Well, if the USA can invade a country, why can't we?»

Europe may have a better moral standing than the US but the stereotype of The West is so imprinted in Russian minds (especially the ones who've lived through the Cold War) that I don't think rhetoric of human rights, democracy, rule of law etc. is going to get much traction in Russia, even if it's coming from Europe. Russians have, in a sense, been vaccinated against this for at least the last 14 years and many have an excellent immune reaction to Western criticism.

Another interesting strategy is that Putin mixes truth with propaganda. By describing the geo-political struggles between the US and Russia, the belligerence and hypocrisy of the US, the expansion of NATO etc, he builds rapport. It is then more difficult to be critical when he justifies his actions. Hence, I demand to discuss issues separately in any argument.

So the machoism and obsession with US hypocrisy suggest that confrontational negotiations with the US or, worse, American threats will only embolden Putin to demonstrate his 'alpha'-ness. On the other hand, appeasement may be dangerous if he has ambitions to conquer more ex-Soviet land. Perhaps a more neutral party might stand a better chance of reaching agreements with him or exerting influence.

"Sane advice along these lines has recently been given by former Israeli Foreign Minister and historian Shlomo ben-Ami, writing in the Beirut Daily Star: “Russia must seek genuine strategic partnership with the US, and the latter must understand that, when excluded and despised, Russia can be a major global spoiler. Ignored and humiliated by the US since the Cold War ended, Russia needs integration into a new global order that respects its interests as a resurgent power, not an anti-Western strategy of confrontation.”"

However, if Putin is driven by a macho desire to bring back Russian glory then perhaps isolation may be the most effective response. Surely he is basking in all the attention at the moment. I believe that cutting off Russia from the West economically and politically will have a strong impact on Russia and Putin's ego. It should significantly change the dynamics and might dampen the Putriots' enthusiasm. A passive-aggressive approach would be more effective than confrontation, which would just fuel Putriotism. Here are some suggestions for dealing with an alpha-male that could be adapted. However, given the strong economic ties between Russia's oligarchs and Europe the real test will be whether Europe can walk the walk.

"Russia vs. The West" Trilogy (Part 1 of 3) ~ "Putinocracy"

PUTINOCRACY

Did you ever wonder why Putin kept going with the alpha-male, macho photoshoots that were ridiculed so much in the West? Surely he must have realised early on that so many people were laughing at the staged photo-ops? Well, I have a theory.

Someone told me recently about a documentary examining what women found attractive in men. It turns out that in 1st world countries, where people have met needs such as a home, a meaningful job and a stable income women find 'advanced living skills' such as charm and humour attractive. However, in less developed countries where meeting the aforementioned needs is still a priority, women are attracted to more traditional traits of masculinity: strength and earning potential.

“It's become something of a mantra in Moscow to say that Russians are so pleased with the way their macho leader is "standing up to the West" and "defending compatriots abroad" that they are prepared "to forgive him everything" - from widespread poverty to endemic corruption and police brutality.”

“Russians opposed to Putin”

Russia's economy and living standards are still developing after the collapse of the USSR and the 'wild' 90's. Add to that the traditional Russian patriarchal culture and this might start to explain why Putin cares so much about projecting an alpha-male image. Keep in mind that this stuff works on a subconscious, primal level as well as with people who are not so educated and / or thoughtful. People who are used to the tough Russian environment of survival are impressed. Women find it appealing, men feel a sense of respect. Not everyone, of course, but especially the ones who aren't critical to propaganda.

People in the West can laugh but many Russians are convinced that strength is respected on the world stage and weakness is extremely damaging. Putin's actions and PR are very consistent with AMOGing (Alpha Male Of the Group, a term popularised by pick-up artist Neil Strauss in his famous book The Game). It's basically males in a group trying to establish their superiority as the 'alpha'. So, Putin and his advisors may be playing a very effective game of psychological manipulation fitting quite well the Russian cultural values and current economic situation. 

I think this is an important and core aspect of Putinocracy that must be understood for engaging effectively with Russia.