Patriotism. A word that inspires hope, respect and a willingness to forever defend one’s nation. The often forgotten emotion it inspires is the fear to criticize the American government. People criticize the government all the time but only when it’s doing something “un-American.” Suppressed are the criticisms against the government for doing something that has become synonymous with patriotism: “spreading democracy and freedom.” Even worse is suggesting something that is “non-American” that may, in fact, be right.
In the eyes of many Americans, Russia is the definition of “non-American.” Due to history, Russia has become synonymous with communism, which some claim to be the ultimate evil. By extension, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader, is viewed as the embodiment of all that is anti-Western. As a result, it is difficult to admit that Putin may be right, and America may be wrong.
Specifically, I would like to focus on the Middle East. Although opinions are finally beginning to change, many Americans were in support of action in the Middle East after the bombing of the World Trade Centers. In the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks that forever changed American history, citizens called for revenge against those that committed these horrible acts. The United States military began the War on Terror in an attempt to spread democracy and freedom. American citizens saw themselves as great liberators. Putin disagreed.
American disagreement with Putin is primarily a result of differing views on government. The Western view is that every person around the globe wants freedom and democracy. This has led to the U.S. attempting to overthrow what Americans see as cruel dictatorships with the hope that these countries will adopt democracy. This was the theory behind the execution of Saddam Hussein and, more recently, attacks against Bashar al-Assad in Syria. However, America doesn’t take action when business elites would be badly hurt, such as in Saudi Arabia where ties with Saudi royalty has given America easy access to oil.
Putin sees government as reflective of the people, and not vice versa. Not all people are homogeneous when it comes to the view of an ideal government. In areas where democracy and freedom are highly valued by the population, democracies are formed. In areas where the population values order, authoritarian dictatorships are formed. In the latter areas, overthrowing a dictator does not lead to a democracy but an equally cruel dictatorship. Recent studies on human behavior actually point toward Putin as being right about people’s response to government.
In the eyes of Putin, the destruction of a brutal but stable government only results in chaos and death. In 2003, America collapsed the regime of Hussein. Twelve years later, Iraq is in the middle of an ongoing civil war. In Syria, the U.S. demanded the end of the Assad regime after claims Assad used chemical weapons on his own people. The United Nations later determined the U.S. was wrong. Chemical weapons were used by the American-backed rebels rather than the Assad government. The result has been massive bloodshed in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. It’s nearly impossible to say the people of Iraq and Syria are in a better situation today than before American involvement. Putin was right. People in the Middle East don’t equally value democracy as Western nations do. Thus, democracy cannot prevail. Overthrows in the name of democracy and liberty lead to misery rather than freedom.
Putin is calling us out on it. When asked about hostile relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin remarked, “We have only two military bases abroad ... U.S. bases on the other hand are all over the world. And you are telling me that I am the aggressor? Have you any common sense?” The U.S. has overstepped its boundaries, and Putin isn’t afraid to stand up against us. Americans must realize the hypocrisy of the United States government.
Intervention by the U.S. has caused the deaths of millions of Arab civilians and U.S. troops. Rather than solving anything, the U.S. has only made matters worse. America has not only sparked anti-Westernism in the Middle East but has thrown gasoline on the flames. This anti-Western ideology, when combined with Islamic extremism, is the exact reason America faces threats such as ISIS. ISIS resulted from failed American intervention. No matter what the government says, allowing the deaths of millions of innocent people in the name of liberty is not patriotic. Under the constant threat of attack, Arabs have less liberty now than they did before.
It’s time the U.S. listens to what Putin has to say. He is right. By working against Russia rather than with them, America continues to only make matters worse. Putin states, “We want to work together with you ... so long as you want that too.” It’s about time America does.
Ben Miller is a freshman studying political science. Do you think that the U.S. needs to consider Putin more seriously? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
