February 16, 2024 - 8:15pm
Russia has become the perfect proxy for the deep divisions in American politics, as the reported death of Aleksei Navalny in Russian custody demonstrates.
Russian authorities announced that Navalny, who was serving multiple sentences in an arctic prison after criticising Vladimir Putin, died in prison Friday. The news evoked partisan fighting in the US over Donald Trump’s relationship with Putin, a congressional package that would fund the war in Ukraine, and the prosecution of Trump.
Left-leaning pundits and Democratic members of Congress suggested Trump and the GOP were indirectly responsible for Navalny’s death, pointing to Trump’s positive comments on Putin and Trump-aligned politicians’ resistance to further Ukraine funding.
“Putin murders Navalny the same week Donald Trump invites Russia to invade Europe and MAGA Mike Johnson blocks aid to Ukraine. This isn’t a coincidence, it’s the green light Putin has been given,” Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell commented. Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett echoed similar sentiments.
The neoconservative Right similarly responded to news of Navalny’s death with criticisms of Donald Trump and the MAGA Right, believing them to be soft on Putin. Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, for example, was quick to note that the former President “praises and defends” Putin. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton further called on Joe Biden to fulfil his pledge of “devastating” consequences for Putin.
Meanwhile, the populist Right suggested Biden’s weakness had emboldened Putin and vented their concerns about political persecution in the US, particularly the prosecution of Trump.
“As the world reflects on the murder of Alexei Navalny at the hands of Putin, it’s worth remembering that Democrats are actively doing Biden’s bidding as they also try to imprison his chief political opponent, Donald Trump, remove him from the ballot, and ensure he dies in prison,” said Republican former congressman Lee Zeldin.
The populist Right’s contrarian streak and scepticism of America’s foreign policy agenda was embodied by Tucker Carlson’s recent trip to Russia, which yielded an interview with Vladimir Putin and widely–mocked commentary praising Russian grocery stores and urban infrastructure.
Glenn Greenwald, something of a spokesman for the populist Left, also argued that the US was hypocritical in its reaction to Navalny’s death, pointing to the Obama administration’s celebration of journalist Edward Snowden being detained in Russia and the muted American response to the death of Zelensky critic Gonzalo Lira in a Ukrainian prison last month. David Sacks, a Republican venture capitalist and critic of Biden’s foreign policy, made the same point about Lira’s recent death.
Foreign policy is a visible wedge issue in US politics, splitting the GOP and dominating Congress’ legislative agenda. Whereas Russia once united the US through shared hostility and fear throughout the Cold War, views toward the nation now are now heavily divided.
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SubscribeI guess the subtext is America suddenly asking the question “Why are we concerned with Russia if Europe isn’t concerned enough to do anything about it?”
It just shows how pathetic American politics has become when they can’t even condemn the murder of a political prisoner by a authoritarian dictator without resorting to petty point scoring on social media
I would guess that you’re right. It also betrays the volume of conditioning administered to the political classes by Trump and most Republicans for several (? many) years. It used to be a joke that Bush Jnr never knew what country he was talking about, but it isn’t any longer. Nor is it a joke that Europe, the supposed allies of the almighty USA find it very hard to be sufficiently concerned because we just don’t have wealth on a scale they would understand. To most “America First” means everywhere else must be blamed for internal economic problems, without distinction (or a half-decent atlas). It’s also true that leaders have always sought to diminish such problems by pointing at external events; and that “shoot first, ask afterwards” remains entrenched in the US psyche.
Did I understand any of that ‘gobblegook’.
Which is, of course, why, on a per capita basis, Europe has funded Ukraine more than the US over the past two years.
Ingenious discourses are always more fun than actual evidence.
The Alt-Right laps them up…
“Why are we concerned with Russia if Europe isn’t concerned enough to do anything about it?”
Europe IS doing something about it, we are sending aid – YOU are holding it up, America has totally f*cked Europe and Ukraine over with its ridiculous foreign policies, now you think you can just walk away and blame Europe. FFS.
Thankfully the UK and Europe are not completely delinquent like America and are taking responsibility for your poor decisions, I’m sure we will be fine, we are used to you running away from your responsibilities at this point.
The UK is sending the aid it promised:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67954152
The us needs to unblock that aid package NOW. The dumbass right wing maga d*ck heads holding it up have blood on their hands at this point. Empty America of the guns it uses for running away and send them to the Ukrainians.
Putin is far more respected and feared in the world because of the way he handles his enemies than the United States, which has time and time again abandoned its friends and is now pussyfooting with Iran while applying pressure on Israel to stop its efforts to destroy Hamas. And having a corrupt, frail, senile old man supposedly running the country doesn’t help America’s image either.
As the world reflects on the alleged murder of Navalny, it is worth reflecting on the fact that Julian Assange has been in solitary confinement in Belmarsh for the last 3 years for doing journalism. I wonder if Unherd ever will.
Absolutely, this!
Navalny has come to a horrible end, but he was hardly a saint, and our media turning him into a martyr whilst bombarding us constantly with propaganda about ‘far-right’ populists in Europe is hypocrisy of the highest order.
The reality is that Navalny was not popular in Russia, despite what the media tells us. That is not making excuses for Putin; it is simply the truth.
Navalny has come to a horrible end, but he was hardly a saint
Are you a saint?
Ask the Vatican after I peg it.
Not quite the same. Assange hasn’t been brave enough to go to the US and stand trial where it is not at all inconceivable he’d win. Many in the US support convicting those who leak secrets but not those who then publish. And this is a jury trial if it ever happened. One suspects Navalny, despite his deficits, would have jumped at a chance for an open session court case to illuminate the wrong-doing.
The fact he hasn’t been brave enough probably suits some in the US though – he remains incarcerated as a lengthy extradition process plays out which in itself is a punishment. Chelsea Manning conversely is no longer incarcerated.
The coming irony of course is he’s likely to eventually get to US in time to be under a President who illegally retained Top Secret documents and showed these to people without security clearance and is wriggling like mad to also avoid defending his actions in Court.
Win like Mark Steyn just did(n’t) with a plethora of evidence against Mann?
The US, due to its plea deal system, and monstrous legal fees, has a 98% federal conviction rate.
Assange is an Australian citizen as arrested in London for doing things that are not illegal in either Australia or the UK. Why should he go to the US to take his chances in DC District where he will be tried for infringing a law the US brought in in the First World War and have barely used since?
I agree to a point. The point here though – is his comparison with Navalny a close match, and my contention is it is not. Navalny would probably have welcomed the chance to get into Court and ensure more heard his argument despite much more risk of personal harm, as we have seen.
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Are there any other far left-wing non-entities you would like to quote.
Putting someone in solitary confinement 29 times, in an inadequately heated cell above the arctic circle, obviously had nothing to do with Navalny’s death.
And after all, it can only have relevance for partisan politics back home. “Sleepy Joe had something to do with it!”
Seems the US Right has purposely made itself totally irrelevant to the visible world.
Now it is just a curious virtual entity. It inhabits online spaces, with no relevance to physical reality…