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Rant Number 574 18 February 2014
‘Why this insane hatred of Russia?’ Why the relentless, rampant Russophobia dominating British media? What is it all in aid of?
On el-Ettijah TV the other day the priest was debating these questions. Answers remain unclear.
In the Sunday Times Tim Judah has painted an almost apocalyptic – a word he actually uses - picture of contemporary Russia. The glitter of the Sochi Games is illusory: packs of stray dogs roaming the streets, broken roads, endemic corruption, resentful middle class, the rich spiriting away money and children abroad, terrorism in the Caucasus, waste, greed and decadence everywhere. All presided over by a lonely, isolated and beleaguered Putin.
Now, I grew up in a world in which the Soviet Union was perceived as a universal, vicious spider, poised to strike at and annihilate the so-called ‘free world’. Soviet state ideology of course was Communism – a messianic, hegemonic and aggressive doctrine aimed at world conquest. It was rational back then for Brits to fear the spider but… Ancient history now: Communism is defunct and the Soviet Union self-destructed in 1991.
The new Russia has no imperialist ideology. It does not wish to export and impose abroad a menacing system or way of life. Putin does not threaten to invade Europe, so…why this pathological hatred?
Twice in the past century Russia has been Britain’s ally. In both world wars it was strategy, Realpolitik, not congenial partnership. Britain feared Russian rivalry in central Asia threatening her Indian empire, and British liberals and radicals detested Tsarist autocracy. Hatred of Germany took precedence, however, and so Russia shed its young men’s blood in a common cause with the Entente – and disastrously lost.
In WW2 Churchill courted Stalin, swallowing his anti-Bolshevik feelings and bending over backwards to humour Uncle Joe. This too was a marriage of convenience – hatred of Germany again the unifying factor. After victory – and the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe agreed at Yalta - the Cold War followed. Evil Russians became stock villainous figures, bogeys in innumerable movies, novels, essays etcetera. 007’s From Russia With Love – do you remember it? (Symptomatically, a new production of John Le Carre’s anti-Russian espionage series, Smiley’s People, is on TV.) Goodbye to all that.
Fast forward to 2014. The British media pullulate with hostile news about Russia. Gays loom large. Because of a law forbidding homosexual propaganda to children. Awful, sure, but…didn’t much admired PM Maggie Thatcher herself introduce Section 28, a law forbidding the teaching of homosexuality in schools? And isn’t current British homophilia a little disingenuous? Sincere love of gays or cynical pretext to bash the Russkies? After all, many types of sexual liberties and speech regarding minors are not acceptable or legal, even in permissive Britain, are they?
A sharp piece in the Washington Times by Ian Ayres and William Eskridge accused the West of hypocrisy. Three US states – Utah, Alabama and Texas – have anti-gay laws. Other states have some form of “no promo homo provisions”. Why target and scream at Russia then?
Tim Judah – a handsome, dark-haired young man – is correct about the terrorist threat in Russia. It emanates from the Caucasus, engendered by the brutal repression carried out in Chechnia. I believe that the Chechens should be free but technically speaking they belong to the Russian federation. Their separatism is a matter for Russia. Britain does not dispute that. However, Afghanistan and Iraq are certainly not part of Britain but that did not stop the UK from launching aggressive wars against them. Double standards?
Geopolitical hints: Russia is essentially a land power, Britain a sea power. Does that make for inevitable conflict? Hardly, if the two countries have fought together so recently. Pity there is no longer a common enemy. Hhhmm…maybe Angela Merkel could be persuaded to play the ogre, who knows?
Ukraine: topical, eh? The country has a long history shared with Russia. The cradle of the three major Slav nations is Kievan Rus. Ukrainians suffered genocide under Stalin – ah! Britain’s jolly old chum again – and maybe half of the population hankers after the EU. Russia naturally does not wish to have a rather unfriendly NATO encircling her further. Still, half of Ukrainians lean towards Russia. A tricky business but not Britain’s business, for sure,
Syria. Another golden opportunity for Russophobes to yell out their Putin paranoia. An atrocious civil war rages on. Neither side seems likely to triumph. Russia can help towards a negotiated solution. Britain is concerned about her jihadi nutters there – what happens when they come home? There is a common interest to work together against terrorism but Britain does not get that. Mystery.
So, why the insane hatred? You can rationalise it. Putin’s strong man’s image rubs up Western liberals the wrong way – they who put up with Blair and Bush till yesterday! His apparent conversion to Christian values compounds the problem. Our elites get febrile when it comes to ‘doing God’. But in the end it may just boil down to a primitive, savage desire to set up a bogey man. A bad guy. A foreign Aunt Sally to throw balls at. To divert attention from real problems right here, at home.
While reading Tim Judah I found myself wondering: broken, atomised society? Poverty? Violence? Feral youths? Hellish council estates? Desperate people? Rioting mobs? Er…Russia or…maybe, nearer at home?
Revd Frank Julian Gelli
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