[Federalist] Over the last six years, we have seen what an emboldened Vladimir Putin is willing to do with his military forces. In the George W. Bush years, Putin shrewdly played the ally. But at the end of the second Bush term when the American president’s unpopularity had weakened him globally, Putin took advantage and invaded Georgia—sloppily and unimpressively, but successfully. Then he hit the jackpot with the election of Barack Obama, who in demeanor, word, and deed demonstrated he had no interest in opposing a revanchist and aggressive Russia. Putin has been clawing back the standing Russia lost after the fall of Soviet Communism, and he’s doing so with gusto: from invading Ukraine to buzzing the European perimeter with fighter jets to claiming the Arctic for Russia, he creates facts on the ground.
But what is he doing on the cultural front in Russia—apart from the use of military force—which makes it possible for him to lead Russia this way? After all, even dictators need cultural support for their actions if for no other reason than to quell bothersome dissent. And how do culture and geopolitical strategy reinforce one another?
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