Russian Cultural Genotype and the West
Being Patient with Western Arrogance and Condescension Is In Russian Genotype. Putting up with all sorts of mockery of Russian Traditions, Religion, Culture in order to learn from its Western teachers is in Russian Genotype.
But so is the Resistance to the West. So is the national pride and the fierce identification with the land and the culture. So is the need for self-respect and self-assertion. All this is part of a Russian Genotype as well.
Yes, Russian people better than anyone remember that wars means death and destruction. There is hardly a family which didn't lose someone in WWII. So Russians wouldn't resort to war with the cavalier ease of Americans, engaged in wars throughout their history, twentieth century in particular.
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, people -- besides other losses -- have experience a very serious national humiliation. Poverty, loss of stability, loss of familiar world. The western world, however, instead of helping people in psychological need, multiplied this humiliation. Ignoring all the promises, they decide to push NATO to Russian borders; they bombed Orthodox Serbia with impunity, they treated Russia as a gas station with unfounded ambitions, and they insisted on doing all sort of crap unworthy of civilized honorable world. You don't treat your friends and allies like that. Even more so, you don't treat your defeated enemies like that. And Russia found itself defeated.
This national trauma still remains. And the Ukrainian Revolution didn't help. More insults and mockery of barbaric Russians continued. More lecturing from Western politicians, more posturing and bragging.
Russia, however, is much stronger now and it doesn't want to be treated like that any more So the country began to send signals. But to no avail. The new world order was already established, the role for Russia was well defined and set in stone: gas-station of the world. Consequently, and any resistance to that script was and continues to be met by threats, sanctions, and bullying.
Lavrov mutters something to the effect that Russians concerns are not heard. To no avail. Putin gives speeches in Munich. To no avail. Russia flexes its muscle in Syria. To no avail. You are a gas station and you have to stay this way.
Continuous insults and mockery of national pride is a very myopic and dangerous policy. It is inhuman, immoral and frankly dangerous.
It is unfortunate, that recently the role of the main jester, designed by the West to mock Russia and dismiss its concerns has fallen upon Ukraine. Again, messages were sent. Stop insulting us. Stop mocking us. Stop dismissing our concerns. Treat our people and our culture with dignity they deserve. Let's make some sort of a deal. Let's have some sort of mutual respect.
Nothing was forthcoming. Same refusal to hear, same insults of Putin, same accusation of barbarism and aggression, same dismissal and hatred. Furthermore, flaunting and glorification of the hated figures and Nazi Collaborators from the WWII period continued on steroids.
Common Russian people were shocked by such turnaround coming from the people they've considered their brothers.
As the result of the Russian invasion, Russian pro-western, zombified intelligentsia will condemn Putin's military campaign with the vehemency they never reserved for the western militarists. Some principled pacifists might condemn him. Some Marxist internationalists might condemn him. But common people, no doubt, are with Putin. And his policy plays very well in Viaz'ma and Riazan'.
Resistance to the west and the passionate love for their country is in Russian genotype. And only fools can think that they can taunt and dismiss Russia--the country that thrives on adversity and resistance --with impunity.
