From Russia with Love

American Thinker.com ^ | September 11, 2021 | Jesse Russel

[Kaslin]

In the campy and not necessarily entirely family friendly (it was the first movie to be released with the PG-13 rating in America) but nonetheless culturally significant 1984 film, Red Dawn, a group of teenagers wage a guerilla war against invading Soviet soldiers in the Colorado Rockies.

What is especially curious about the film, especially for us living in the morally “grey” twenty-first century in which anti-heroes are just as popular as heroes, is the clear patriotic and anti-Communist message of the film.

The Soviets are unquestionably bad, and the Americans are the “good guys.”

Indeed, with a few exceptions, this message was by and large accepted by most Americans not only throughout the 1980s, but throughout the Cold War.

For better or worse, as the United States and Russia struggled for world dominance in the twentieth century, most Americans viewed liberal democratic capitalism as superior to Soviet communism.

However, with the proliferation of the multinarrative and conspiracy-driven culture of the twenty-first century digital age, a host of variant ideologies have taken root in the American mind, ranging from monarchy and German National Socialism to various forms of anarcho-libertarianism as well as every variant of Marxism under the sun.

Moreover, many Americans of the right and left no longer feel loyal to the United States, its traditions, or its government.

Throughout social media, it is not uncommon to find Americans sympathetic to countries such as Iran, Syria, Sweden, and, yes, even Canada, arguing that these countries and their leaders are superior to a decadent and morally bankrupt United States.

[Paladin2]

"United States is increasingly resembling the Soviet Union of her youth. No longer in America is Marxism a marginal phenomenon. Rather, Culture Marxism is taught to Americans from kindergarten to graduate school.

Moreover, as Russians were in the Soviet Union, Americans are now tracked, traced, monitored and punished for politically incorrect speech or for questioning powerful government entities.

Putin, Dugin, and other Russians are not entirely wrong of their criticism of the decadence and hypocrisy of the West."

[BobL]

“The Soviets are unquestionably bad, and the Americans are the “good guys.”

Indeed, with a few exceptions, this message was by and large accepted by most Americans not only throughout the 1980s, but throughout the Cold War. “

It was a minority back then (1980s), but FAR MORE than a ‘few’ - more like well into the millions back then. I saw them first hand and was with them. But back then there were still ADULTS running the country and could hold back these monsters.

But that’s not the case now. We should have dealt with them when we were strong enough to, but most on our side simply could not comprehend they even existed.

[oldasrocks]

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

[tlozo]

Moreover, as Russians were in the Soviet Union, Americans are now tracked, traced, monitored and punished for politically incorrect speech or for questioning powerful government entities. Putin, Dugin, and other Russians are not entirely wrong of their criticism of the decadence and hypocrisy of the West."

Complete BS statement. In Russia, people have no rights. For instance protesters, find it impossible to get a permit to protest, therefore police brutally put down peaceful "illegal' anti-gov protests.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Russia is no longer totalitarian but merely authoritarian. America is the country drifting toward totalitarianism.

[tlozo]

Russia is no longer totalitarian but merely authoritarian.

Not totalitarian? One man, Putin has been in charge since 1999 and has changed the constitution so that he can remain "president" till 2036.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Totalitarian is when they involve themselves in every part of every citizen’s life. You know, like the mask and vaccine mandates.

[tlozo]

Totalitarian is when they involve themselves in every part of every citizen’s life. You know, like the mask and vaccine mandates.

So Russian society is free because they don't have mask and vaccine mandates. Okay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Russia

[mac_truck]

In Russia, people have no rights.

[canuck_conservative]

I remember when Red Dawn came out, I was talking to a bunch of bleeding-heart leftists, and they were totally spitting-mad TICKED OFF about it, they considered it as “Reagan propaganda” ... must have been an effective movie to annoy them that much

Still makes me smile every time I hear mention again of “Red Dawn”!!

[billakay]

To be fair, people voted in favor of the constitutional amendment by a pretty good margin. Don’t forget that it was part of a package that included a constitutional ban on gay marriage and a few other really good things. You should also consider that the same package significantly weakened the power of the Russian presidency.

I don’t see Putin staying until 2036. In fact, I see this set of amendments as part of his exit plan.

[mac_truck]

In Russia, people have no rights.

Imagine people with "no rights" being able to sell and shop for hand made goods inside a historic Lutharen church while performers serenade them as part of a Christmas celebration.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

You really don’t know the definitions of totalitarian and authoritarian. Kinda sad for a Freeper not to know.

[UnwashedPeasant]

There was a 2012 remake of Red Dawn. The bad guys were supposed to be China, but this was changed to North Korea to avoid upsetting the CCP.

So the movie turned out to be pro-NK propaganda.

[representativerepublic]

Wolverines!

[tlozo]

You really don’t know the definitions of totalitarian and authoritarian. Kinda sad for a Freeper not to know.

Authoritarianism in Russia.

"Authoritarianism in Russian Politics: State Reformation at Stake?"

https://medium.com/indrastra/authoritarianism-in-russian-politics-state-reformation-at-stake-1a0404319c87

"Russia’s Adaptive Authoritarianism"

https://newlinesinstitute.org/russia/russias-adaptive-authoritarianism/

"Authoritarian Russia"

https://upittpress.org/books/9780822963684/

“AUTHORITARIANISM IN RUSSIA: DANGERS FOR DEMOCRACY”

https://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/97-99/galkin.pdf

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Of course autoritarianism is opposed to democracy! Duh! However it is much to be preferred to totalitarianism. The Chinese are much happier under their current authoritarian govt than they were under Mao's totalitarian one.

Russia has moved from a totalitarian communist dictatorship to an authoritarian oligarchy. Not great, but definitely an improvement.

Meanwhile America is moving from a croney capitalist authoritarian oligarchy mascarading as a democracy toward a totalitarian LGBTQIA freakocracy. We are not headed in the right direction.

[tlozo]

"Today Russia is technically a lay state, but it’s no secret that Orthodox members retain certain privileges within the government, while other religions can be treated harshly.

Lutherans have a federal right to witness their faith freely, but many hide their beliefs at work, while others are prohibited by corporations’ ethical codes to witness openly, Petersons said."

https://www.livinglutheran.org/2020/01/fighting-the-odds/

"Russia Charges Baptist Pastor In A Sign That Its Religious Clampdown Could Be Spreading"

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-charges-baptist-pastor-in-a-sign-that-its-religious-clampdown-could-be-spreading/29901315.html

The Russian government has a number of laws against religious extremism and foreign funding of non-government organizations including the Yarovaya Law, that can be used to restrict the practices of religious minorities, such as evangelism or the importation of foreign religious literature.[1] Critics of these laws argue that the Russian government gives priority to the Russian Orthodox Church, making it into an unofficial state church.[2][3][4] According to International Christian Concern, during 2021 "crackdowns on religious freedom have intensified in Russia."[5] During June of 2021, Forum 18 highlighted that “twice as many prisoners of conscience are serving sentences or are in detention awaiting appeals for exercising freedom of religion or belief as in November 2020.”[6] Some federal agencies, such as the Federal Registration Service, and many local authorities, continued to restrict the rights of some religious minorities. Legal obstacles to registration under a complex 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations (the 1997 Law stating Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as traditional religions) continued to seriously disadvantage some religious groups considered nontraditional.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Russia

[dfwgator]

The Soviets are unquestionably bad, and the Americans are the “good guys.”

I note that in the movie, China was also depicted as the "Good Guys", could it be the whole point of the movie at the time was to serve as Chinese Propaganda?