Neely Ashmun

Socrates Talks – Episode III Russia Culture and Imperialism. [First Draft.] © Socratessword 2025 Russia invaded because ultimately Putin wants to invade and conquer his neighbors. It is a difficult concept to express, not that I fully grok it, but for centuries Russia has believed that they are the protector of the "lesser Slavs." It can be fairly racist. That is why Russia mobilized during WW I after Serbian rebels offed Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary was going to punish Serbia for his death. They are Russia’s children. It can be straight out of 19th-Century racial theory. Russian leaders see themselves as strong and the West, especially the Anglo-Saxon nations as weak, full of chaos and perversions. They believe that they are better people. Putin sees conquering these other nations as protecting them from Western filth. I should say that not only is Russian society patriarchal, it is sociopathologically so, it is not one of a firm but loving father, but a brutal drunken one, with the ability to punish whoever they desire. Part of this comes from the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The West placed the Catholic Church above the state, due to the fraudulent, yet influential, Donation of Constantine, after the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire, In the Eastern Roman Empire, the Patriarch was appointed by the Emperor, the Autokrátōr. In normal times, when there was a vacancy, the Emperor would convene a Synod of Church leaders and submit three names to appear like church was the one choosing. In reality, everyone knew who the real pick was supposed to be and chose him. Though there were exceptions. Because of this, the Emperor was seen as the instrument of God upon the Earth. This was mirrored in Russian homes. The husband was the divine ruler of the house. At the dinner table, Icons of God or Christ were placed behind him. And so, patriarchy was reinforced. The wife and children are under his command, and it is his job to protect them from others and being led astray. There are three ways that European civilizations moved on from the Middle Ages. In societies like Britain, the Middle Class grew so big that they were able to subsume the Upper Class. Individuality and freedom were paramount. In other nations, like Germany, they had a substantial Middle Class, but it was co-opted by the Upper Class. Proper functionality of society and your place in it are more important. The third type are nations like Russia had such a small Middle Class that they had to import them as the intelligentsia. Dependency and authority are the model. In one way, and as someone who is definitely in the first category, the nations are like weeds, tended rose gardens, and hothouse flowers. The nobles were all powerful. There were few limits on their authority. If they wanted anything from a lesser class, they could take it, including running up huge debts. The others were subordinate. If the nobles wanted it, they could take it. Though the nobility are officially gone, the cultural template still exists. They are senior government figures or oligarchs with little difference. The Czars are gone, but Putin remains. And the Communists destroyed much of the Russian Orthodox Church and rebuilt it with athletics and government informers, but they still implement the rule of Moscow. Russia calls the former SSRs of Estonian, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine as the “Near Abroad.” These nations are viewed as Russia’s children and now they are led away buy Western freedom, especially the Anglo-Saxon version,. That is why Russia dwells on extreme examples of Western sexuality. Freedom scares them., They need authority and control. So in this regard, Putin sees the invasion of Ukraine as punishing a disobedient child. They need the control of Moscow and him. It’s the equivalent of using a belt on a child in a drunken rage. He believes that they have to belong to Russia. It is a moral calling. That is why he will not stop. He cannot stop until he is protected him. Any peace plan would be temporary. He must have them. That is why the only path to peace, true peace, is Russia’s defeat.