Posted on 08/23/2013 11:44:23 AM PDT by MetaThought
Russian President Vladimir Putin, the career KGB officer who has presided over the rollback of his countrys post-Communist freedoms and revived Cold War-style anti-Americanism, is an unlikely hero for American conservatives. Yet the Kremlin strongman has lately found some fans on the right who see him as a defender of Christian values most recently, in the imbroglio over Russias new legal ban on gay propaganda. It is a sad misjudgment that does a disservice to the causes of conservatism, freedom, and religion alike.
Spokesmen for several right-wing groups including the American Family Association have praised the Russian law, which prohibits any pro-gay speech or expression that could be accessible to minors. Veteran columnist Pat Buchanan has joined the Putin cheerleading squad. And, shockingly, the usually thoughtful author Rod Dreher, who blogs for The American Conservative, has added his own 1.5 Cheers for Putin.
While condemning anti-gay violence and authoritarianism in Russia, Dreher praises Putins willingness to speak up for Christianity and laments that post-Soviet Russia, for all its grievous flaws, is . . . more conscious of its Christian history and character than the United States.
This is a truly grievous misunderstanding of the reality of religion and politics in 21st Century Russia. Russia today is outwardly far more religious than most of Western Europe, but its a religion of state more than church: Orthodox Christianity has taken Communisms place as the new official ideology, with church membership an official badge of patriotism and loyalty.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
I mean seriously? You have to ask?
Putie ain't perfect. But he is far better than Obammie in every way.
Goes under the category of ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend”.
We wouldn’t have known about NSA transgressions without Snowden. Not that its going to change anything . . .
I think most of it is just a wistful longing for past days when the President of the United States loved and defended his country.
Because they wish we had a leader like him.
Because Putin’s values are closer to traditional America than are Obama’s.
Putin is more intelligent and civilized than Obama.
Apart from Obama, name me one American authoritarian you admire.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Finally! I have waited breathlessly to learn Cathy Young’s opinion. (Did I spell that right?)
Conservatives aren’t praising Putin, but they are marveling at how much better off we’d be if he were President instead of Obama.
We’re just looking at America through the funhouse mirror glasses that Obama is wearing, and we don’t like what we see.
Becuase President Bad Ass seems more fitting that “Presently Poosy”.
Which would you want?
A President that can be counted to act out on his previous patterns, with certitude or one that can’t make up his mind, often changing tables before he seats himself at the dinner table and again after the food has been served?
For real news, there is: Pravda and FreeRepublic! Long live the Republic!
Bingo. We’re comparing him to the Kenyan.
I've never understood it either. Putin is a murderous thug dictator presiding over a banana republic.
You got it, Ms Young. You're talking about Obama's regime, aren't you?
No, not really. It’s tough to be worse than KGB. I harbor a pet theory than Obama covertly is an employee of Putin et al. But even if that isn’t the case, you can never really trust a Klingon, no matter how much they tidy up.
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