Posted on 06/14/2014 11:16:42 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
There is absolutely no evidence, aside from rhetoric, to suggest that Russia in general and Putin in particular have been converted to Christianity. Instead, what we are witnessing is a massive Russian “active measures” campaign that has ensnared many American conservatives, convincing them that Putin is somehow a legitimate alternative to President Obama’s decadent worldview. It is troubling to see some of these conservatives endorse Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine.
The term “active measures” refers to influence operations that use agents of influence, disinformation and propaganda. ....
Rather than embrace Christianity, the evidence shows Russia has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church, always a tool of Soviet intelligence. As we noted in an AIM Report back in 1984, John Barron’s authoritative book, KGB, said that the KGB’s Directorate 5 is assigned to “clandestinely control religion in the Soviet Union” and to “insure that the Russian Orthodox Church and all other churches serve as instruments of Soviet policy.” Barron added, “The directorate placed KGB officers within the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy and recruits bonafide clergymen as agents. Much of its work is accomplished through the Council on Religious Affairs, which is heavily staffed with retired and disabled KGB officers.”
Nothing has really changed. In fact, the Russian Orthodox Church is even closer to the regime these days, and is still so morally bankrupt that it published a 2014 calendar in honor of Soviet mass murderer Joseph Stalin. Former KGB officer Konstantin Preobrazhensky has called it “Putin’s Espionage Church,” and devotes a major portion of his book, KGB/FSB’s New Trojan Horse, to its use by the Russian intelligence service.
(Excerpt) Read more at aim.org ...
While the motivations of both are suspect, one at least says the right things, the other is busy promoting homosexuality across the world.
I don't have the time nor the desire to try to make the obsessed see things differently, nor would I be successful, anyways.
Just know that you are just as bad as your ideological opponents, and the Abyss gazed back into you.
Nevertheless, at a recent sports event at Easter, half the stadium roared out to the other half, “Christ is risen!”; and the other side roared back (the traditional reponse), “He is risen indeed!”
Not only wouldn’t that have happened in the old USSR, but I doubt it would happen today at an NFL game (or even be allowed).
Russians are discovering Christianity almost as something new (and yet an old part of their culture).
We are abandoning Christianity as something old (and yet an old part of our culture).
Putin is anti-islam because his muslim Tatar mistress sired him two illegitimate muslim Tatar children?
Don't put your faith in governments or their leaders.
Still all black to you both. I get it. Have a good day.
These -- like the form of Christianity that existed before the Reformation -- are all enemies of liberty.
I call the people named in my post "commies" because: it rankles them, for the sake of easy identification, and because the appellation is still pejorative -- at least in the benighted darkness of Free Republic, where you think you're shining some great illumination. [Protip: a post that ends with "O The horrors!" is pretentious and silly.]
The only difference between the communism of Stalin and the totalitarianism of the Czars is that Bolsheviks imagined the novel angle of exporting the religion of state terror via Marxist mumbojumbo. [Not very different from any other organized religion in that regard, nor in the desire to completely control the minds, sinew, and money of its duped followers.]
Putin fights and hates the Islamic terrorists who threaten his regime, and enables and supports those who threaten ours. That's not quite the same thing.
As the pro-Russia propagandists do their work here, Finland, which probably knows the truth a little better, is so fearful of the monster that they will probably join NATO.
Putin is even making Sweden fearful enough that they are discussing it.
Never mind aiding terrorists that attack Israel.
Russia certainly has many issues, but why classify them as an opponent? Are they threatening any vital US interests? Are they seeking to do us economic or military harm? Additionally, why is it our responsibility to defend nations that were once part of the USSR? I don’t want them taken over against their will, but what part do they play in their own defense? (I suppose you could say the same thing about the Iraqis. When are they responsible for defending themselves?)
Maybe I’m naive, but how come America has always claimed a sphere of control, aka the Monroe doctrine. Yet, we keep meddling in Russia’s business? We almost went to nuclear war over their meddling in Cuba, but we think it’s OK for us to make threatening alliances with Russia’s own neighboring states?
Additionally, I don’t see the USA as some great virtuous nation anymore. We’re pushing a lot of evil stuff on other countries. We act like a big, pushy bully, so I don’t think we have a lot of room to complain about how Russia treats other nations.
You should tell it to Netanyahu, perhaps.
Putin does appear to back “Muslims” like Bashar Hafez al-Assad, but is Assad/Syria really a threat to the USA? Sorry, but America seems to be playing on the wrong side. We supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the rebels in Libya, and we wanted to support the Islamist rebellion in Syria. Putin, on the other hand, seems to be far more pragmatic, playing the game much like we used to. In other words, he supports regimes that help keep the radical, head choppers in check. We used to do the same, because dictators and strong men who can keep the nut jobs down are in our own (and Russia’s) best interest.
Economic harm, certainly, what with their doing business with Red China in yuan rather than dollars and throwing US businesses out in favor of nationalization of certain industries.
There was only one reason for putting missiles in Cuba, and that was to attack the USA with nukes. AFAIAC, Eisenhower failed big time by failing to support Bautista against Castro, too.
The conservatives of the USA always have the high ground as far as criticizing the Eurasian Union (no longer just Russia, remember).
Why are you calling the liberals in the USA “we”?
For all the talk about Putin wanting to create a new USSR, why hasn’t he simply invaded the Ukraine? He certainly has the military power to do so, and he’s already paying the political and economic price for Crimea. What more sanctions would the world’s nations impose on Russia for a full scale invasion of the Ukraine? Certainly Putin doesn’t think NATO would go to war over it, and Obama would probably do little more then send another sternly written letter.
Exaggerated and simplistic in the extreme. Try to look for similarities, not just assume they’re polar opposites.
The USSR did not “simply invade” any of the Iron Curtain nations before the outbreak of WWII either.
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