President Putin opined in an interview with Bloomberg at the
Eastern Economic Forum that events from the last decade and a half show
that the budding Western foreign policy theory of humanitarian
interventionism, wars of liberation and outside efforts to bolster
opposition to autocratic conditions result in fertile breeding grounds
for terrorists and destabilize nation-states – with Iraq, Libya and
Syria being the most prominent and graphic examples.
"I’ve always been of the opinion that you can’t change things from
the outside, regarding political regimes, power change," Putin
explained. "I’m sure – and the events of the past decade add to this
certainty – in particular the attempts at democratization in Iraq,
Libya, we see what they led to: the destruction of state systems and the
rise of terrorism."
The Russian President himself has faced challenges from Western foreign
policy thinkers who claim to espouse a theory of outside intervention to
facilitate a culture of increased democratization – such as Open
Society Foundations’ George Soros who had invested heavily in opposition
media and entities inside of Russia which many in Moscow see as a
thinly veiled effort to destabilize the government.
A similar cascade befell the regime of Viktor Yanukovych, the
democratically elected leader of Ukraine, whose regime was ousted by the
same “fifth column” forces of disruption that the leaks of George Soros
files showed that the Hungarian-born billionaire advocated for and
ultimately funded the creation of.
In this Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012 file photo, smoke rises over Saif
Al Dawla district, in Aleppo, Syria
© AP Photo/ Manu Brabo, File
US-Russia Set to Complete a Major Military Alliance Agreement in Syria
"Do you see any elements of democracy in Libya? Perhaps they will
develop one day, hopefully. Or the ongoing civil war in Iraq – what is
the future of Iraq in General? These remain big questions," said Putin
in laying out his case. "The same goes for Syria. Every time we hear
that 'Assad must go' (because someone from outside believes so), I can’t
help but wonder: What is that going to lead to?… Isn’t it better to
warm ourselves with patience and promote structural changes in society?"
The idea comes full-force with the regime change efforts in Iraq
and Libya with former President George W. Bush calling the military
campaign an effort to "liberate the Iraqi people" from the despotism of
the violent dictator Saddam Hussein. A similar motive animated the Obama
administration’s push, an effort spearheaded by former Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, to force regime change in Libya so that
pro-democratic forces could lead the country – instead it is a failed
state controlled by Daesh (ISIS).
Speaking about democracy from the depths of despotism, Putin argued
that "this won’t happen today or tomorrow, but perhaps therein lies the
political wisdom: holding horses and not leaping ahead, but gradually
pursuing structural changes, in this case, in the political system of
society."
The Russian President’s argument makes sense even under Western political theology which is based on the notion of the rule of law and freedom of speech with a major precondition of being trust in institutions that are left stable enough to adapt to the needs and demands of the people.
The Russian President’s argument makes sense even under Western political theology which is based on the notion of the rule of law and freedom of speech with a major precondition of being trust in institutions that are left stable enough to adapt to the needs and demands of the people.
