#227: Whatever Your Politics, There is No Reason to Support Putin

I.

If you see yourself on the political left or a progressive, you should not support Putin.

You are against racism? Putin’s Russia promotes Russian chauvinism. Not even Russia First, but Russia Only. As Vladimir Putin himself has said, what is the point of a world without Russia?

You are against violence against women? Putin’s Russia legalized violence against women.

You are against war? Putin’s Russia is waging war against Ukraine, in Syria, and waged war against Georgia, Chechnya, threatened war against Moldova and is regularly threatening nuking those countries standing up against him.

You are against exploitation? Putin’s Russia has most of the country living in abject misery.

You are against genocide? Putin’s Russia is actively committing it against Ukraine.

You are for truth? Putin’s Russia has just rewritten the history books.

You are for gender equality? Putin’s Russia rages against it.

You are for LGBTQ+ rights? Putin’s Russia rages against them.

You see yourself as a communist, socialist, progressive? Putin’s Russia promotes neither. It has rehabilitated Stalin, but Stalinism isn’t really the model to follow, is it?

You are for indigenous people’s rights? Putin’s Russia has been deporting indigenous populations just as Stalin did. Ask the Crimean Tatars, ask the Ukrainians, ask those Chechens who do not support the Kadyrov regime, ask the populations who predominately have to send their children to die killing Ukrainians.

You are against religious dogma? Putin’s Russia has veered hard into supporting the Russian Orthodox Church which is led by a former KGB agent.

You are for free expression and criticism – the hallmark of left-wing thinking if you understand Marx correctly? Putin’s Russia will not allow any of it.

You care about the environment? Putin’s Russia commits ecocide and is married to the fossil fuel industry.

You see yourself on the left? Putin’s Russia is not with you.

Is the West perfect? No. But can you advocate for your left-wing causes here? Yes, you can.

Think for yourself, and do not fall prey to Russian or Chinese imperialist propaganda.

II.

Now, if you see yourself as a conservative, you should also not support Putin.

First, you probably share many agreements with what I have said before about the left – because progressivism and conservatism both care about humanity, just focus on different things.

Here are some things that may be conservative-specific.

You care about family values? Putin’s Russia promotes violence against women, tortures its men in the police and in the military, and sends its children to be killed in wars. Putin’s Russia does not care for family. They pretend to do so by hating on LGBTQ rights, but that doesn’t mean support for family values.

You care about religious freedom? Putin’s Russia deliberately attacked Ukrainians during religious services, and agitates against any religion other than the KGB-led Russian Orthodox Church.

You care about freedom? Putin’s Russia doesn’t.

You care about America? Putin’s Russia hates it.

You care about gun rights? Putin’s Russia doesn’t allow citizens to own firearms.

You care about a strong economy? Putin’s Russia sacrifices its economy to wage war against Ukraine.

You care about decency? Putin’s Russia threatens its neighbors with nuclear war.

You care about democracy? Putin’s Russia holds sham elections and eliminates any democratic opposition.

Whatever your politics, whatever you may think on other issues, Putin is not your ally, and you have no reason to be his.

Ceterum censeo Ucrainam esse defendam. Слава Україні!