Russia’s Right Turn
Moscow has reclaimed its 19th-century conservative role
William S. Lind
An unfortunate
legacy of the Cold War is the negative attitude some American conservatives yet
harbor toward Russia. Conditioned for decades to see Russia and the Soviet
Union as synonymous, they still view post-communist Russia as a threat. They
forget that Tsarist Russia was the most conservative great power, a bastion of
Christian monarchy loathed by revolutionaries, Jacobins, and democrats. Joseph
de Maistre was not alone among 19th-century conservatives in finding refuge and
hope in Russia.
In his own Times
op-ed on Syria, Putin wrote, “It is alarming that military intervention in
internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United
States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it.” Sen. Robert A. Taft
and Russell Kirk also doubted it.
Moscow appears
to understand better than Washington that the driving foreign-policy
requirement of the 21st century is the preservation of the state in the face of
Fourth Generation war waged by non-state entities, such as those fighting on
the rebels’ side in Syria. Russia has rightly upbraided Washington for
destroying states, including Iraq and Libya.
When Putin came
to power following the chaotic Yeltsin years, there was a real possibility the
Russian state itself would disintegrate. Putin’s greatest achievement, and the
reason for his popularity within the country, is that he saved and strengthened
the Russian state instead. Blinded by their worship of the clay god
“Democracy,” Washington elites cannot perceive the importance of what Putin
did, but conservatives should. Russia can be an effective ally against Fourth
Generation entities, and conservatives prefer states to stateless anarchy.
Russia’s new-old conservatism is evident not only in its foreign policy but at
home as well. In September the Financial Times reported:
Vladimir Putin
called on Russians to strengthen a new national identity based on conservative
and traditional values such as the Orthodox church yesterday, warning that the
west was facing a moral crisis. … Mr. Putin said Russia should avoid the
example of European countries that were ‘going away from their roots’ by
legalizing gay marriage and excessive ‘political correctness.’
“People in many
European countries are ashamed and are afraid of talking about their religious
convictions,” Putin is quoted as saying, with religious holidays “being taken
away or called something else, shamefully hiding the essence of the holiday.”
“We need to
respect the rights of minorities to be different,” he added, “but the rights of
the majority should not be in question.” American conservatives can only dream
of an American president saying such things. Should we not cheer a Russian
president who dares to defy “political correctness?”
The world has
turned upside down. America, condemning and even attacking other countries to
push “democracy” and Jacobinical definitions of human rights, is becoming the
leader of the international Left. Russia is reasserting her historic role as
leader of the international Right. This is a reversal of historic importance.
American foreign policy should be based on America’s interests, not on affinity
for any foreign power. But putting America first does not require being hostile
to Russia or anyone else. On the contrary: American conservatives should
welcome the resurgence of a conservative Russia.
William S. Lind is director of the American
Conservative Center for Public Transportation.
Source: The
American Conservative
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