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Originally Posted by thanixravindran Scent of money always trumps the stench of dictatorship, isn't it?
Just quoting you only for reference as there are several posts regarding the democracy and the love of West for it. Sure I believe in Democracy that is the reason we are having a forum and voice our opinions and thoughts freely.
However, when you see generally about dictatorship post WW2, you will always see the names of Communist, Asian and may be African/LATAM dictators. But how many of us know two Western European countries were ruled by Dictators till 1970s. Yes, I am talking about the Franco's Spain and Salazar's Portugal. Both of them were allowed to get away for all their actions and rule till their time. One of them was even a founding member of NATO, EFTA and what not. Why were the poor people of Portugal and Spain not allowed to taste democracy by their neighbors?
Also, don't forget how the West has rehabilitated PRC after 1972 in the backdrop of Mao's disaster.
The reason for this post is not to support Russia or oppose the west. Irrespective of where you are in the spectrum of global politics, Politicians are power hungry wolves (they have to be to survive) and please do not take their word for everything as they will change the 'narrative' as it suits them. |
In order to make myself more clear and answer your points, we need to look at the evolution of democracy as a form of governance. French revolution laid the foundations of modern Democracies in 1789, but USA started propagating this system to the rest of the world only after WW2, when they were challenged by another ideology (Communism) from the east.
During 1960s and 70s, Europe after the war was in ruins, USA was deeply involved in cold war with a formidable USSR, when you are faced with a formidable enemy, in order to keep unity in your own flank, you tend to ignore little delinquents on your side, that's the reason for tolerating dictatorships in Spain and Portugal, this was the same reason USA tried to wean China away from USSR.
Soviets lost, America won the cold war and also the political ideology war in 1990s, Europe achieved historic economic development in this period (HDI of most of EU countries was highest in the world), so confidence, or i should say overconfidence, on Democratic ideology was very high in western world. First challenge they faced after the cold war was Islamic terrorism in the late 1990s onwards, and they try to smash it by Bludgeoning Afghanistan and then Iraq, destroying these nations in the process, but very quickly realised the limits to there power and made the hasty retreat from Iraq and lately from Afghanistan, (Remember, they only provided intelligence and air support in Syrian war and in war against ISIS, no boots on the ground).
But what has happened during the retreat of the western world is the rise of one man in Russia, Putin, who, filled with a historical grudge against western world and there Democracies, for breaking of USSR, has been trying to give them the taste of there own medicine. Putin has developed a very sophisticated system of TV, print and social media machinery to influence and rip open the fault lines of the western societies, success of these operations are the reason for the rise of extreme right wing groups in Germany, France, USA among many other countries. Putin has propped up or supported Dictators or Right wing extremist group leaders in many countries and he has been so successful in doing that, this epoch, that we are living in is called as a 'Strong man macho leaders' era. Biggest highlight of his success has been the ability to influence US election in favour of Donald Trump and rise of extreme Right wing white nationalists in America, some of whom have risen to the ranks of Senators in American assembly, these Senators now are rooting for Putin in this war just because they think Russia is more Whiter then America.
Western world believes they have tolerated Putin and his policies to such a point, that now, he has become toxic to there own Democracies and there values, and cannot be ignored, so now when they are helping 'Democratic Ukraine' fight against Russia, or assuring to save Baltic nations of NATO from Putin, they are not only helping these countries, they believe, they are saving there own Democracies. According to them, if left unchecked, Putin will destroy everything they have gained after the painful 1940s. Looking at the actions and statements of Putin in the recent past, i think, assessment of the western world is fairly correct, this man has the capacity and willingness to destroy not only the Western Democracies but the whole world, thus needs to be stopped.