(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of trying to cancel Russian culture.
During a televised meeting with leading Russian cultural figures, Putin compared the recent cancellation of Russian cultural events with the actions taken by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Speaking of the barring of Russian artists, performers, composers, and writers prompted by the invasion of Ukraine, Putin said the West wants to cancel “a whole thousand-year culture” and the Russian people.
Putin also compared the treatment of Russian cultural figures to that of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling after she sparked outrage from the trans mob for standing up for biological women.
He accused Western countries of the “gradual discrimination” against Russia’s culture and its people.
Well, he’s not wrong. Russia’s culture and Russian people are getting targeted.
In reaction to his invasion of Ukraine, Russian artists, authors, singers, conductors, athletes, and even trees have been banned, barred, and fired. Russian products have been taken off shelves. Russian restaurants have been vandalized. Symphonies have canceled concerts featuring Russian composers like Tchaikovsky. Russian chess players are barred from competing in tournaments. Universities cancel courses on Russian authors. Russian soccer teams have been barred from competition. Performances by Russia’s Bolshoi ballet troupe are getting canceled. And a 198-year-old Russian oak tree was banned from competing in last week’s European Tree of the Year competition.
Putin’s complaints are no doubt disingenuous. But the West gave him the fuel to make that disingenuous argument.
Russian propaganda excels at exploiting the divisions in other countries.
And by invoking “cancel culture,” Putin was doing just that. It was a cynical attempt to manipulate western conservatives to gain sympathy for Russia while furthering the divide between left and right.
And it worked. The far-Left in the United States responded exactly as Putin wanted – by telling those on the right that if they talk of cancel culture or support J.K. Rowling defending biological women, then they are ideologically aligned with Putin.
