The Real reasons for Western Hatred of Russia’s Putin

Why do Western Politicians & media hate Russia’s head Vladimir Putin that much? Let’s have a look at the claimed and after that, the real reasons.

 Claimed reasons:

Highly emotive, and open to interpretation, these reasons are plausible excuses that make harsh reactions more palatable

• Russian troops and tanks are in Ukraine, proven by social media and the presence of independent Russian volunteers (I would point out that independent foreign volunteers was not a problem in Syria, even though many of these men would go on to help found ISIS).

• Crimea was taken illegally (bloodlessly, and ironically it remains one of the few Ethnic Russian areas in Ukraine that is completely untouched by conflict).

• Russia hates(?) gays (Saudi Arabia executes gays, no problems being America’s ally though)

Counter-Questions:

• Were Russia assisting the rebels, and apparently OPENLY doing so assuming they had sent tanks, why is it that Ukraine has not been conquered by the much more formidable Russian military?

• Were Ukraine already bravely fighting Russian forces, why is it that they did not decide to retake Crimea, unless they truly did fear the presence of Russian troops?

• Which party immediately launched into military action to crush dissent, ironically after claiming that their voice had been suppressed by the prior democratically elected government that had never used military force against its own people?

• Were Russia anti-gay, why do they have open LGBT parades to begin with

The real reasons:

Energy Dependence and Europe

The EU is dependent on Russia for its energy needs. Severing this relationship would push EU countries closer to America. Russia’s oil pipelines pass through Ukraine, which makes it a strategic area of control. The same argument applies to Russia, highlighting the fact that neither party has only noble intentions when it comes to Ukraine.

Competition for Global influence/dominance

Russia and China are leading members of the BRICS , and are spearheading initiatives that move away from US dominance. The new BRICS bank is a challenge to the IMF, which had been largely influenced by the US and had refused to give the BRICS greater say, proportionate to their growing economic clout. Also, China and Russia have openly stated that they wish to break the US dollar’s dominance as a reserve currency .  A new “Silk Road” proposed by China stretches between China, Russia, the Middle East and Europe would completely bypass America. The plan can be seen as a response to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which ironically did not include one of the largest Asia-Pacific countries in its negotiations.

According to RT’s Pepe Escobar, China in particular has decided that it was time for action and is actively promoting a de-dollarized world. The below quote from a Xinhua Daily writer is telling, as China would normally avoid using such strong language against other countries:

“Instead of honouring its duties as a responsible leading power, a self-serving Washington has abused its superpower status and introduced even more chaos into the world by shifting financial risks overseas, instigating regional tensions amid territorial disputes, and fighting unwarranted wars under the cover of outright lies.”

China has at least three parts to this new strategy. The first is to stop the military adventures of the US. All nations must respect international law and deal with conflicts within the framework of the UN. The second is to broaden membership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to include countries in the emerging and developing world. The third is to work towards a “new international reserve currency that is to be created to replace the dominant US dollar.”

Russia Stopped another Iraq/Libyan scenario in Syria

Between August and September 2013, a NATO surprise attack against Syria was foiled by Russia. On the 31^st of August, France was ready to launch an attack at the command of Obama, and had already put its fighter jet pilots on notice. Obama suddenly decided to go to congress instead, stalling the process. Three days later, The Telegraph reported that Russia had detected the launch of two missiles from a NATO base. These missiles were thought to have crashed into the sea later, speculation abound that they had been shot down or jammed by Russian defense forces. Although claimed to be missile tests, their proximity to Syria and trajectory is hardly coincidental. NATO war ships were massed in the region at the time, suggesting a readiness to strike.

Russia was the only country willing to stand against US aggression, and the world repays it with sanctions and was ironically labelled the aggressor. Although every political commentator wailed about the atrocity that is Iraq, we can see that few had really meant wanted to stop these transgressions from occurring. This does not mean that Russia and China are the saviours of the world, far be it, but they also represent the only balance that prevents America and NATO from doing whatever they wish to weaker nations, regardless of the wishes of the American and European people.

Remember this: the American people had voted overwhelmingly against Syrian engagement in a poll, and the British parliament had voted it down. Just just a year later ISIS becomes a problem, beheading British, American and even Japanese aid workers and journalists (after four years prior of conflict that had progressed with only “moderate” rebels, as reported by the mainstream media) and America is in Syria anyway, hopeful that after all the sanctions, Russia will not resist again.

Snowden

It seems the no good deed goes unpunished; Edward Snowden had chosen carefully where he believed would be the safest place to flee from the US, and Russia was the only country that had dared assist him. Soon after came the accusations of Putin being homophobic. Although allegations regarding NSA surveillance and other covert activities were well-known prior toe Snowden, he was the first to successfully retrieve proof of these, substantiating the claims of every other whistle blower before him.

Were it not for Russia, Snowden would likely have faced the exact same fate of Bradly Manning. Or worse. Bradley became Chelsea Manning soon after suffering a truly horrifying ordeal:

After Manning’s arrest on May 29, 2010, he was transferred to a Marine brig in Quantico, Virginia, where, during his nine-month stay, he was reportedly held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, forced to sleep naked without pillows and sheets on his bed, and restricted from physical recreation or access to television or newspapers even during his one daily hour of freedom from his cell, all under the pretense that the private was a suicide risk. Manning’s treatment while in prison sparked as intense a public outcry as his arrest itself—drawing comparisons to the conditions of suspected terrorists at Guantánamo Bay.