The ruling elite of Erefia accuses Ukrainians of fascism, although in fact Russia itself has long been a state with classic fascist features. Of the six main features of fascism, all six are present in the political system of the Russian Federation. The well-known Polish-American political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski notes that the form of government in today’s Russia resembles the fascist dictatorship of B. Mussolini in Italy. In the Internet space, the manifestations of Russian neo-fascism and aggressive chauvinism have already begun to be called “racism.”
1). Every fascist regime is characterized by an aggressive foreign policy, which is expressed in the idea of “restoring historical justice” and returning “primordial” ethnic territories to the “motherland.” Just as Hitler sought to annex to the Reich all the lands inhabited by at least some ethnic Germans, so Putin today wants to annex the territories of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Estonia, and Latvia, where Russian-speaking residents live. Russia stretches as long as the Russian language spreads, say the adherents of the new empire that Putin has decided to restore, and these words no longer seem like empty rhetoric to anyone. Over the past 20 years, Russia has attacked Georgia twice, intervened in Moldova, supporting artificially created separatist regimes there, suppressed the freedom-loving Chechen people with bloody war and repression, and armed intervention in Ukraine. By demanding that NATO return to the 1997 borders, the Kremlin is seriously intent on restoring its influence and political hegemony in the former “zones of influence” in Central and Eastern Europe.
2). The second classic feature of fascism is the propaganda of messianism , the “special historical role” of the nation, which for Russian fascists is manifested in the idea of the “Third Rome.” Moscow’s control over the peoples of Eastern Europe, which in fact means their enslavement, has been declared a Russian national idea.
3). Messianism is conceptually derived from the sense of national superiority (chauvinism ) over other peoples, which in Putin’s Russia is expressed in the opposition of the cultural and moral superiority of Russian Orthodox and Slavic spirituality to Western materialism, liberalism, and consumerism. A classic demonstration of Russian chauvinism, the idea of superiority over other nations, is the ideologeme of the “older” and “younger Slavic brothers.” The “spiritual superiority” of Russians over other peoples also dominates the religious dogmas of the Russian Orthodox Church, which declares itself the only truly canonical organization.
4). An integral feature of a fascist regime is the cult of the leader of the nation, which was built in Italy and Germany in the 1930s. In Erephia, which has been ruled by Putin for a quarter of a century, the media and manipulation have created a real cult of the dictator’s personality. Millions of Russians should be happy to be ruled by Putin, who has been “reviving the empire, bringing Russia off its knees, increasing its army and weapons, and confronting the power of the West” since the last century. Patriotic songs are composed about Putin, the titles of which sound like a diagnosis, but which are listened to by young people. The cult of Putin in Russia has in some ways surpassed even the cult of Hitler in its scope, because the Fuhrer was never the subject of children’s fairy tales. Among Russian children’s literature, fairy tales by Sedov are actively spreading about a powerful, honest and brave hero – the president of the Russian Federation – who defeats enemies with judo techniques and was a spy in foreign countries in his youth. In fairy tales, the heroic president fights evil, defeats dragons, sorcerers, and natural elements, and remains kind, just, and honest, while being strict with his enemies. From kindergarten onward, little Russians are taught to love and loyalty to the leader of the nation.
5). The key attributes of the fascist regime are the cult of force-militarism and the apologetics of war, which have recently been rampant in Russian films, TV series, television programs, and literature, in which Russian special forces defeat enemies who are always non-Russian in Russian cinema. The population of Erethia is being zombified by propaganda about the “hostile environment” and the need to “get off their knees,” which actually means the restoration of the empire.
Russia produces tons of anti-Ukrainian literature, poetry, and video games that depict scenes of war against Ukraine, the seizure of Ukrainian cities, and despise the Ukrainian language, culture, and statehood. Ten years ago, the Russian Federation published fantastic novels about the future Russian-Ukrainian war under the epic titles Broken Trident or Independent Ukraine: The Collapse of a Project. And years later, the propaganda paid off: the indoctrinated Russian teenagers grew up and invaded Ukraine, killing Ukrainians.
6). Like every fascist regime, the Kremlin systematically criticizes democratic values, which it mockingly reduces to protecting the rights of sexual minorities and tolerating radical Islamists. As an alternative, the fascists offer a strong country with a strong leader who is feared and respected in the world – the classic Mussolini formula, realized today in Erephia. The inner meaning and highest value of fascism is the apologetics of the “strong hand.”
As history shows, such regimes and their leaders end badly, leading their own countries to destruction, numerous human casualties, and their peoples to global contempt, shame, and disgrace.
Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk
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