Given the massive imperial core propaganda against Russia & Syria and the massive harm the imperial core wreaks compared to anti-imperialist Russia & Syria†, it’s appropriate to comparatively “minimize” the “badness” of Putin and Assad‡. Also, we in the imperial core have no way to influence Russia or Syria, so there’s no point in us focusing on their (comparatively minor) faults.
†Russia & Syria aren’t anti-imperialist because they’re morally “good.” There are material reasons for it. For example, around 20 years ago Russia wanted to join the imperialism club, but the US rejected them. Ex-Nato head says Putin wanted to join alliance early on in his rule. Since then Russia, rejected by the Global North, has had no choice but to join with the Global South as allies instead of neocolonizers. Hence BRICS+ and the larger developing multipolar bloc that’s going its own way, ignoring the US’ “rules-based international order” sanctions, developing its own international balance of payments outside of US dollar hegemony, and working to get out from under the boot of the IMF’s & World Bank’s debt traps.
‡Focusing on Putin and Assad in particular sounds like great man theory, which Marxists reject.
Given the massive imperial core propaganda against Russia & Syria and the massive harm the imperial core wreaks compared to anti-imperialist Russia & Syria†, it’s appropriate to comparatively “minimize” the “badness” of Putin and Assad‡. Also, we in the imperial core have no way to influence Russia or Syria, so there’s no point in us focusing on their (comparatively minor) faults.
†Russia & Syria aren’t anti-imperialist because they’re morally “good.” There are material reasons for it. For example, around 20 years ago Russia wanted to join the imperialism club, but the US rejected them. Ex-Nato head says Putin wanted to join alliance early on in his rule. Since then Russia, rejected by the Global North, has had no choice but to join with the Global South as allies instead of neocolonizers. Hence BRICS+ and the larger developing multipolar bloc that’s going its own way, ignoring the US’ “rules-based international order” sanctions, developing its own international balance of payments outside of US dollar hegemony, and working to get out from under the boot of the IMF’s & World Bank’s debt traps.
‡Focusing on Putin and Assad in particular sounds like great man theory, which Marxists reject.