A lot of Russians moved to Serbia after the invasion (one of the European countries with a remaining direct flight to Russia plus overall friendly relations between the two countries). Pro-Russia, pro-Putin sentiment is widespread in Serbia, and so it is a funny situation that the actual Russians that have come here, are generally very much not Putin fans. The day Navalny died, they held a little vigil downtown. Our government is not as bad as Russia's (yet) but it was still a personally risky thing to do given that some anti-Putin Russians here have had their Serbian visas cancelled for being a bit too outspoken.
John, surely this would just be speculation, but I wonder if you have any thoughts on the ideology or motivations of individuals like Max Blumenthal or Aaron Mate, who predictably are excusing, denying or minimizing Navalny’s death and the obvious crimes of Russia. Is there any historical parallel for someone nominally “left” coming around to far right fascists in this fashion?
There are some precedents for sure. I mean, Mussolini was originally socialist and used the idea of "proletarian nations" in opposition to the imperial powers. Fascism and nazism attracted anti-imperialists whose main focus was Anglo-American domination. But it's hard to say what's driving Blumenthal or Maté at this point other than this is their job now sort of. They've become professional propagandists a la Tucker.
I'm not a historian but didn't the pro-Soviet left dial back the "anti-fascist" rhetoric as soon as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was public knowledge? And later they attacked their opponents as "premature anti-fascists", for consistently hating Hitler when that was not the official policy coming out of Moscow.
The first part is certainly true, as far as I know "premature antifascist" is more associated with McCarthyism, but many antifascists were purged after the war, yes.
My uncle (by marriage) was a genuine premature anti-fascist, serving honorably in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion(*) in the Spanish Civil War. He and others who had actually fought against fascists, and were the only Americans who had fought in an actual war that used modern (post-1918) weapons, found it hard to get into the US armed forces, and particularly into anything relevant to Europe. Uncle got a job with General Stilwell on the Burmese front. By his account, a comrade got an Army assignment - on the Aleutian "front". This comrade had a desk job that enabled him to break into the files one night and look at his personnel data. There he found a notation "P A F". So, it came into use early on, and accounts for the odd anomaly in the utilization of these combat-seasoned enemies of our enemies.
(*) There were battalions named for Lincoln and for Washington; the post-war organization representing both was the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
But don't you dare say "horseshoe effect"! That is now the property of the so-called moderates of the right wing - according to lots of current leftish types.
I appreciate the attention here to the noble qualities Navalny demonstrated that we so sorely need in our leadership and citizens today in the face of autocratic threats. His courage truly inspires. But so does his seriousness and clarity.
Hopefully the example of his life and not fear from his murder will carry the day. As the Greeks like to say, May his memory be eternal.
Putin, like any unelected leader, looks smart because he doesn’t have to do or say stupid things and run scared for electoral needs. He also doesn’t have a media that loves to shit on one party while protecting the other from accountability.
He also looks smart because he’s had successes from small efforts: Facebook ads getting some votes for Trump, finally getting Russia a foothold in the Mediterranean by giving Assad a modicum of support.
But then there’s the big thing where he’s failing and has already lost: turning Ukraine into a satellite. He’s pushed Ukraine into the arms of NATO and the EU. If far more knowledgeable people than I are correct, the 2022 was primarily economic in aim. Again, that doesn’t look like it’s happening to say the least.
Of course, he’s also seen in comparison with fPOTUS and anyone looks better in that comparison.
The tragedies of Navalvy’s death is that it will do nothing in Russia nor here vis a vis the GOP’s recent Trump-pushed support for Putin.
A lot of Russians moved to Serbia after the invasion (one of the European countries with a remaining direct flight to Russia plus overall friendly relations between the two countries). Pro-Russia, pro-Putin sentiment is widespread in Serbia, and so it is a funny situation that the actual Russians that have come here, are generally very much not Putin fans. The day Navalny died, they held a little vigil downtown. Our government is not as bad as Russia's (yet) but it was still a personally risky thing to do given that some anti-Putin Russians here have had their Serbian visas cancelled for being a bit too outspoken.
John, surely this would just be speculation, but I wonder if you have any thoughts on the ideology or motivations of individuals like Max Blumenthal or Aaron Mate, who predictably are excusing, denying or minimizing Navalny’s death and the obvious crimes of Russia. Is there any historical parallel for someone nominally “left” coming around to far right fascists in this fashion?
There are some precedents for sure. I mean, Mussolini was originally socialist and used the idea of "proletarian nations" in opposition to the imperial powers. Fascism and nazism attracted anti-imperialists whose main focus was Anglo-American domination. But it's hard to say what's driving Blumenthal or Maté at this point other than this is their job now sort of. They've become professional propagandists a la Tucker.
I'm not a historian but didn't the pro-Soviet left dial back the "anti-fascist" rhetoric as soon as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was public knowledge? And later they attacked their opponents as "premature anti-fascists", for consistently hating Hitler when that was not the official policy coming out of Moscow.
The first part is certainly true, as far as I know "premature antifascist" is more associated with McCarthyism, but many antifascists were purged after the war, yes.
My uncle (by marriage) was a genuine premature anti-fascist, serving honorably in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion(*) in the Spanish Civil War. He and others who had actually fought against fascists, and were the only Americans who had fought in an actual war that used modern (post-1918) weapons, found it hard to get into the US armed forces, and particularly into anything relevant to Europe. Uncle got a job with General Stilwell on the Burmese front. By his account, a comrade got an Army assignment - on the Aleutian "front". This comrade had a desk job that enabled him to break into the files one night and look at his personnel data. There he found a notation "P A F". So, it came into use early on, and accounts for the odd anomaly in the utilization of these combat-seasoned enemies of our enemies.
(*) There were battalions named for Lincoln and for Washington; the post-war organization representing both was the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
“Fascism and nazism attracted anti-imperialists whose main focus was Anglo-American domination. “
Wasn’t so much aware of this. Interesting.
But don't you dare say "horseshoe effect"! That is now the property of the so-called moderates of the right wing - according to lots of current leftish types.
Moving piece, thank you.
I appreciate the attention here to the noble qualities Navalny demonstrated that we so sorely need in our leadership and citizens today in the face of autocratic threats. His courage truly inspires. But so does his seriousness and clarity.
Hopefully the example of his life and not fear from his murder will carry the day. As the Greeks like to say, May his memory be eternal.
Putin, like any unelected leader, looks smart because he doesn’t have to do or say stupid things and run scared for electoral needs. He also doesn’t have a media that loves to shit on one party while protecting the other from accountability.
He also looks smart because he’s had successes from small efforts: Facebook ads getting some votes for Trump, finally getting Russia a foothold in the Mediterranean by giving Assad a modicum of support.
But then there’s the big thing where he’s failing and has already lost: turning Ukraine into a satellite. He’s pushed Ukraine into the arms of NATO and the EU. If far more knowledgeable people than I are correct, the 2022 was primarily economic in aim. Again, that doesn’t look like it’s happening to say the least.
Of course, he’s also seen in comparison with fPOTUS and anyone looks better in that comparison.
The tragedies of Navalvy’s death is that it will do nothing in Russia nor here vis a vis the GOP’s recent Trump-pushed support for Putin.
From afar I read of Navalny's death and his mother seeking his body for a decent and evem public burial. And think of Antigone.