Front Royal, Virginia — The liberal communications media frequently speak of today’s Russia as if it were simply a current version of the former Soviet Union. There are, however, many significant differences between the two.

The Soviet Union was a dogmatically atheist regime. Today’s Russia, in contrast, is a Christian country. Vladimir Putin is a faithful Russian Orthodox Christian with a personal confessor.

First, and most important, is the religious difference. The Soviet Union was a dogmatically atheist regime. One of the founding forces in the Soviet Union was an organization variously known in English as “The League of Militant Atheists,” “The Militant League of Atheists,” or “The League of the Militant Godless.” The Soviet Union routinely persecuted and even killed people simply for professing belief in God. At all times, those who believed in God were completely excluded from the government and all other powerful organizations. Today’s Russia, in contrast, is a Christian country. Vladimir Putin is a faithful Russian Orthodox Christian with a personal confessor.

The Soviet Union, faithful to its core beliefs, took ownership of the means of production and forcibly collectivized many of the farms. Today, the Russian economy is capitalistic, although somewhat corrupt and less free than ours.

Second is the economic difference. The Soviet Union, faithful to its core beliefs, took ownership of the means of production and forcibly collectivized many of the farms. The Soviet Union did not believe in market forces at all; indeed, for much of its history, its professional economists were completely ignorant of western economic reality and theory. Today, the Russian economy is capitalistic, although somewhat corrupt and less free than ours.

Third, the Soviet Union was almost always a truly despotic tyranny. Its official ideology was that of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” as a step in a pseudo-Hegelian process. Today, although not as free as a western democracy, Russia experiences more freedom than in most of its history.

The Soviet Union was almost always a truly despotic tyranny. Today, although not as free as a western democracy, Russia experiences more freedom than in most of its history.

Fourth, the Soviet Union was ideologically committed to world domination. Russia has certain aggressive and unacceptable territorial ambitions, but they only extend to its immediate neighbors.

Despite the foregoing, we do have some serious differences with Russia.

The Soviet Union was ideologically committed to world domination. Russia has certain aggressive and unacceptable territorial ambitions, but they only extend to its immediate neighbors.

Most of the Ukrainian people, primarily from the western part of their nation, are our friends and the enemies of Russia. Some in the far Eastern part of the country are Russia’s friends and, in some ways, our enemies. In 1994 The United States, Russia, and Ukraine entered into a treaty in which the United States and Russia guaranteed the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The United States keeps its treaties and we should stop further Russian invasions of Ukraine.

Russia tried to influence our 2016 elections. I doubt that there is a major power in the world that has not influenced the elections in some country. We do need to thwart Russia’s interference in our elections, but this does not necessarily mean that we have to make an international crisis out of it.

We should simply join Russia in fighting Moslem terrorists.

Russia and the United States are both fighting the same Moslem terrorists in Syria but Russia is allied with the Syrian government and we are senselessly fighting that same government. We should have a common strategy and common goals with Russia in Syria. Iran is our enemy and Russia’s friend but a common strategy in Syria does not have to mean a common strategy in Iran. We should simply join Russia in fighting Moslem terrorists.

We can become friendly rivals with the Russians, if we can resolve our differences in Ukraine and Syria with them. This will not happen, however, as long as our policy makers cannot tell the difference between the Soviet Union and Russia.

###

Copyright © 2018 by the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted if credit is given to author and fgfBooks.com.

Charles G. Mills, author of The Confederate Lawyer, is the Judge Advocate Emeritus (general counsel) for the New York State American Legion. He has forty years of experience in many trial and appellate courts.

Help the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation in its mission to publish the writings of Charles G. Mills and other great writers. Give a tax-deductible donation to FGF online

or send a check to:

Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation
344 Maple Avenue West, #281
Vienna, VA 22180

Or call toll-free at 1-877-726-0058 to donate by phone. For more information, write to Fran Griffin at fgf@fgfBooks.com