Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

dalton99a

(81,065 posts)
8. Russia Is Co-opting Angry Young Men
Sun Nov 3, 2019, 11:01 AM
Nov 2019
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/08/russia-is-co-opting-angry-young-men/568741/

Neo-Nazis, skinheads, soccer hooligans and similar violence-prone groups on the radical right also have the potential to serve as ready, often unwitting, Kremlin agents of influence who can be manipulated to undermine Western democratic institutions. The Kremlin makes use of far-right groups for a number of reasons. First, these groups can be manipulated and indoctrinated through social media, which makes them ripe targets for organizations like the Internet Research Agency, whose trolls can mobilize their members with carefully crafted messaging. Second, these groups are likely to find the Kremlin’s ideology of “traditional Russian values” appealing, particularly when contrasted with Western liberal values such as individual rights, tolerance, and self-expression. Right-wing groups are more easily drawn into the Russian orbit with anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-feminist rhetoric and by a narrative that stresses a collectivist, tribal, and racially exclusive worldview.

Finally, the Western radical right is attractive to the Kremlin not only because it provides a pool of recruits—often angry young white men—for stirring up social protests, but also because it serves as a backdoor for establishing ties with far-right political parties and anti-establishment politicians. The Kremlin views such politicians—like France’s Marine Le Pen, Germany’s Frauke Petry, and Italy’s Matteo Salvini—as battering rams that can be used to demolish democratic institutions and to challenge the political establishment’s support for NATO, the EU, and transatlantic ties. Although the Kremlin’s effort to co-opt Western politicians is beyond the scope of this article, it is a key reason why Russia invests resources in cultivating fringe radicals in the West.

For obvious reasons, however, the Kremlin tries to hide its support for far-right groups, both in Russia and elsewhere. A BBC documentary on Russian neo-Nazi soccer hooligans secretly recorded the leader of Moscow’s Spartak “ultras” explaining that his army of followers served as “Putin’s foot soldiers.” Shortly after the documentary aired, Russian police issued a call for all those who had been interviewed in the film to report immediately to local stations across Russia and sign forms saying they had been coerced into lying by the BBC.

More in the US than Germany at this point. GoneOffShore Nov 2019 #1
Shit. calimary Nov 2019 #2
Serious, growing far rt. extremism. Tx for posting, I saw it too. appalachiablue Nov 2019 #3
they need to consider sex education to reduce the sex on the wrong brain, a certainot Nov 2019 #4
? JudyM Nov 2019 #21
the most dominant characteristic in authoritarians is uncertainty avoidance certainot Nov 2019 #22
That is certainly interesting, wasn't familiar with that theory. JudyM Nov 2019 #23
I've been doing it with the wrong hand? lagomorph777 Nov 2019 #24
yep! and because women are more likely to use 2 hands or naturally be able to use the left hand certainot Nov 2019 #25
Self-explanatory bucolic_frolic Nov 2019 #5
This The Nation article delves into Nazism and similar in Germany progree Nov 2019 #6
That's terrifying PatSeg Nov 2019 #10
America needs to do the same. Kid Berwyn Nov 2019 #7
And then what? dware Nov 2019 #9
I think it's just a .... reACTIONary Nov 2019 #11
I think you are right. dware Nov 2019 #14
Then we shame the motherfuckers. Kid Berwyn Nov 2019 #15
I agree, dware Nov 2019 #18
We arrest these un-American pos. Americans died against pos like that rockfordfile Nov 2019 #17
This message was self-deleted by its author dware Nov 2019 #19
Are you saying arrest them because they're nazis? dware Nov 2019 #20
I call them Gaetzis. nt tblue37 Nov 2019 #12
That's a great name for them. Kid Berwyn Nov 2019 #16
Russia Is Co-opting Angry Young Men dalton99a Nov 2019 #8
I think Putin's partially behind this. C Moon Nov 2019 #13
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»German city declares "Naz...»Reply #8