DISINFO: Supporters of Western liberalism seek to undermine Russia’s cultural code
SUMMARY
Supporters of contemporary Western liberalism - including the Russian opposition - seek to undermine Russia’s cultural code. For contemporary liberalism only personal material well-being makes sense. In Russia, instead, national pride has always played an important role. For today’s liberals, the value of national pride does not make sense.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that seeks to discredit liberalism by claiming that it undermines traditional values such as patriotism and upholds only the value of personal material well-being.
The article provides no evidence to support its claim that the West and the Russian political opposition are seeking to undermine Russia’s “cultural code” and its patriotic values.
This narrative emphasises the decay of traditional values in the West and claims that Russia has preserved its traditional social, moral and spiritual values and is, therefore, a superior civilisation compared to the materialistic West. This narrative often claims that the West – and, in this case, Russia’s political opposition – seek to undermine Russia’s traditional values.
As explained in this analysis by EUvsDisinfo, “threatened values” are one of the most common narratives used by pro-Kremlin outlets.
Furthermore, it is not true that for liberalism only individual material welfare is significant and patriotic values make no sense. Liberalism is a political doctrine that upholds the values of freedom, protection of individual, civil and human rights, pluralism, and equality. Liberal-democratic values go far beyond material well-being and do not contradict or undermine traditional values such as patriotism.
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