Editor’s note: This commentary is by Lee Russ, of Bennington, who is a retired legal editor and freelance writer.
[O]ur news is saturated with tales of Russian influence on our president and our elections. You hear a lot less about the other Americans who admire Russia more than America: Christian extremists, white nationalists, and gun zealots like the NRA. Is it a coincidence that they all are strong Trump supporters?
America’s extremists in race, religion and culture have been singing Russia’s praises for some time. Patrick Buchanan, one time presidential candidate, indicated that God is now on Russia’s side “In the new ideological Cold War.” Franklin Graham said that “Russia’s standard is higher than our own” for “protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda.” The National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown called Putin a “lion of Christianity.” Pastor Rick Joyner amazingly declared that Russia has more freedom of religion than America.
The World Congress of Families has partnered with Russian conservatives to hold events inside Russia, in pursuit of the WCF director’s hope that American evangelicals would be “true allies” of Russians fighting to protect Christian values.
The NRA has cozied up to Russia for years now. Russian politician Alexander Torshin is a lifetime NRA member. The now famous Mariia Butina has been everywhere in the NRA’s activities, all in pursuit of Russian interests. Serious questions remain about whether the NRA was a conduit for Russia to pass money to the Trump campaign.
Prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer called Russia the “sole white power in the world.” At last year’s Charlottesville alt-right rally, many shouted “Russia is our friend!” Author Vegas Tenold, who studied white nationalism for years, said, “Russia is the beacon of white nationalism in the world now.”
The League of the South recently declared that “The Russian people and Southerners are natural allies in blood, culture, and religion.” The League describes itself as “a Southern nationalist organization” with the ultimate goal of “a free and independent Southern republic” made up of the old Confederate States of America. It plans to add a Russian language section to its webpage.
They all see Russian society as embodying their extreme beliefs to a far greater degree than modern America or Europe. So does Trump. Why?
• Russia is largely white, with roughly 40,000 to 70,000 “Afro-Russians” out of a total population of more than 140 million. In contrast, Manhattan alone is home to well over 100,000 African-Americans.
• Russia is extremely anti-gay. Its 2013 “gay propaganda” law made it illegal to equate heterosexual and homosexual relationships, and to distribute material promoting gay rights.
• Russia tightly controls abortion. In 2013, they enacted a ban on abortion advertising, and any abortion after 12 weeks.
• Russia has a ban on insulting religious beliefs.
• Russia is reimposing the male privileges of patriarchy. Last year, Russia’s parliament voted 380-3 to decriminalize domestic violence that doesn’t cause “substantial bodily harm” if it is limited to one incident a year or less.
To stay in love with Russia you have to ignore the tremendous degree of corruption. GAN Integrity, a global compliance company concludes that “High-level and petty corruption are common. … Government officials often engaged in corruption with impunity.”
The American extremists don’t seem to mind. Trump seems really comfortable with corruption.
You also have to ignore the extreme repression of dissent and nonconformity. The anti-gay law has spurred much violence. NPR reported that “Dozens of Russian journalists have been murdered since 2000. … A surprising number have implausibly fallen or slipped to their deaths.” Non-journalists who publicly criticize Putin, even after they have left Russia, have an unfortunate tendency to meet violent or strange deaths from shooting, falling from buildings, and being poisoned.
The American extremists don’t seem to mind. In fact, Trump might well envy the power to dispatch those pesky journalists and critics that interfere with his power.
Polls now consistently show overwhelming Republican support for Trump despite his fondness for Russia, and many even doubt that Russia interfered in the election. Gallup reported a 20 point increase from 2015 to 2017 in the number of Republicans who view Putin favorably. Is this a reflection of how large a portion of Republicans now belong to the extreme groups?
The headquarters of white nationalism/Christian extremism is now in the Kremlin. But there’s a major subsidiary in the White House with branches throughout America. What does it mean for the future that the most extreme Americans are so devoted to such a repressive country, and now have a president who feels the same? What does it mean for the future that Trump disdains the democracies of Europe and NATO in favor of the repressive, authoritarian state of Putin, and has a sizable, devoted base that feels the same?
History tells us that extremists have no qualms about using violence to get their way. After all, brutality isn’t really wrong if “it’s what God wants” or “it’s necessary to save our way of life.”
Are you looking forward to the future? Da or nyet?
