In an interesting opinion article in the November 21st New York Times, Cathy Young, who grew up in Moscow and lives in the United States, writes about Russian anti-Americanism.
She cites Russian journalist Leonid Radzikhovsky, who wrote, “the existential void of our politics has been filled entirely by anti-Americanism,” and that renouncing this rhetoric “would be tantamount to destroying the foundations of the state ideology.”
Young writes:
In the post-Soviet era, many Russians are angry because their country has neither the stature nor the living standards that they believe it deserves. … As frustrations mount, it is often easier to blame an external force than the country’s own failings. … The result is an inferiority complex toward the West and, in particular, the United States, as the pre-eminent Western power and cold war rival. This widespread sentiment combines admiration, envy, grievance, resentment, and craving for respect and acceptance as an equal.
Young notes, “in recent years, anti-Americanism has been carefully cultivated by official and semi-official propaganda, especially on government-controlled television, which manipulates popular insecurities and easily slides into outright paranoia.”
As examples, she cites the 2005 statement by a Russian official that “the avian flu was a myth created by the Americans to destroy Russia’s poultry farming industry” and this year’s airing on Russian television of a conspiracy theory film on the September 11 attacks.
Young does not foresee a U.S.-Russian honeymoon when President-elect Barack Obama takes office. She thinks, in contrast, that the Russian government “may be especially anxious to ratchet up anti-Americanism in response to the election of Mr. Obama, who is likely to make it more difficult for Russia to exploit animosity toward the United States in Europe and even the Third World.”
Todd Leventhal is the Department’s expert on conspiracy theories and misinformation—stories that are untrue, but widely believed. He enjoys reading obituaries, which tell the personal stories of people who have shaped the fabric of American life.
Todd became interested in international affairs after a four-month trip to the Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India in 1972. He worked for Voice of America for seven years and bikes to work year-round.
Comments (1)
Andrey Panov
28 March 2009 at 00:43 EDT
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That is why it’s so important to promote true information about life and politics in the States. So that a younger Russian generation could make up their mind based on facts from both sides.
Since WWII Soviet propaganda was the massive weapon to control minds of the citizens. Nowadays, instead of addressing domestic problems, our leaders are attacking more developed countries trying to build up another enemy image for the nation. This works sometimes.
However, what really concerns me is that more and more young students are not able to think critically and examine what they are told before making it their credo.