Getting It Completely Backwards, Which Explains So Much

I didn't like Russia when it was the keystone of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. 

I don't like Russia now. It is a backward place with backward leaders, and despite having enormous resources, both natural and human, the country is so mismanaged that it remains a relatively poor kleptocracy. 

The joke about Russia is that it is a gas station with nuclear weapons, and there is reason to believe the second part of that sentence is only half true, since nuclear weapons require regular maintenance to remain reliable, and Russia is hardly known for keeping its equipment maintained. Remember those trucks that couldn't make it to Kyiv at the start of the war? 

One reason was that the tires were out of round because nobody moved the trucks regularly while in storage, and they warped. 

So I don't just dislike Russian leaders, but I disdain them, and their culture. I see them as a hostile country, if not an actual enemy, but I most certainly do not stay awake at night worried that they could seriously threaten us unless they wanted to commit suicide. 

But because Russia is so easy to dislike, it has become a convenient all-purpose whipping boy for everything that goes wrong in Western societies, which usually translates into anything our ruling elite dislikes. Lose an election? Russia did it. Something bad happens? Russia! 

Russia, Russia, Russia. Sure, they are jerks, but they are hardly all-powerful. 

Germany’s Chancellor Merz: My biggest concern at the moment is not our economy, is not the European Union, is not America, is not China. My biggest concern is the impact of Russia on our society and how they are succeeding in destabilizing our societies. https://t.co/hUKtJ0yaGd

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 21, 2026

As politicians in Western Europe see their popularity slipping away, Russia has become a convenient whipping boy again, and the all-purpose excuse for clamping down on liberty in their own countries. Much of the speech control that has been put in place has been excused by references to "misinformation," either coming from Russia or the "far right," which is supposedly Russian-controlled. 

The European Union even canceled elections on the excuse that Russia was influencing them. 

Germany’s Chancellor Merz: We had a surplus from Germany to the world for decades, but this was the case because our competitiveness was so overwhelming. R&D was great. Our companies are still great, and they can compete. https://t.co/mEsgZF2JdB

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 21, 2026

The ridiculous thing is that Merz has everything backward, as befits a leader who clearly doesn't understand why Germans are angry and dissatisfied. Germans are being crushed by crippling NetZero policies, harassed by authorities for speaking out, toying with banning the most popular political party in their country, and regulating their industries out of business. Then there is the replacement migration. 

None of that is Putin's fault, nor is the fact that Germans are noticing and angry about it. If Russia is stirring up trouble, as it no doubt is, it can only gain traction because Germans are already angry. 

@FT In the spring of 2024, EU politicians weaponized their intelligence agencies to spread disinfo & interfere in elections, likely illegally. BBC, Politico, and other media participated in their Russiagate hoax. https://t.co/GA8EcYwcFp

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) October 21, 2026

Russia, to the extent it is a real threat at all, is only one because European leaders have screwed up so badly. If these leaders want to be in good shape to combat Russia, whatever that means, they'd best get their own houses in order. 

I think it's just fine, and likely smart, for European leaders to push back against Russia in Ukraine. In a sane world, they could easily do so on their own. Their population is 3x Russia's, and their GDP is about 8x. If Russia is a threat at all, it's because Europe has chosen to be weak. If they need US help to keep Ukraine afloat, it's because they are pathetic. 

That's their fault, not Russia's. We always knew Russia was a bad actor. They chose to be weak, and now blame Russia for all their ills. 

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