By Sawraj Singh
Putin's resounding victory with more than 75% of the votes, sends a clear message to the West that the days of its domination of the world are over. Putin can be considered the greatest architect of a Post-western world order, called a multipolar world. For the last two centuries, the world was living under almost complete western domination which culminated in almost absolute American hegemony.
For all practical purposes, America was the undeclared Master of the current economic-only globalization, which completely lacks an ethical aspect and a true global perspective. This globalization only worked to reinforce absolute American hegemony and western domination of the world. Putin has worked with China and the other countries for a new globalization which will be fair and just for everybody. The benefits of such a globalization will be shared by all, instead of monopolized by a few.
It is not just economics which the West dominated, its philosophy also dominated the world; the hallmarks of which are that economics are above ethics, and productivity is above creativity. Putin tried to revive Christian values in Russia and Europe. Christianity preached exactly the opposite values to the western capitalist values. It advocated that ethics are above economics, spiritual aspect is higher than material aspect, and creativity is higher than productivity.
Putin revived Russian nationalism and restored the sense of national pride in Russia. The rest of Europe has followed Russia's lead, and nationalist forces have become stronger in many European countries. After the Second World War, Western Europe almost completely lost its independence and mostly played a second fiddle to America. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe also came under American domination.
By reviving Christian values, Putin has rekindled the European spirit because Christianity laid the foundation of the European civilization. American consumer culture became the dominant culture in Europe. It promoted exactly the opposite values to what Christianity had preached. Christianity preached humility, austerity, selflessness, sharing and forgiveness; whereas consumer culture incites exactly the opposite values of arrogance, extravagance, selfishness, greed and vengeance. Putin is liberating Europe from this capitalist consumer culture.
Putin wants to fuse the good elements of Communism with Christianity and does not see a contradiction between Communism and Christianity. Capitalism has dampened human spirit. Under capitalism, human values have taken a back seat to capitalism's quest to maximize profits and constantly expand markets. Human values have become the biggest victim of capitalist greed. We need all the help we can get to reverse this course. Putin is trying to unite all forces which are opposed to the dehumanization brought by capitalism.
Putin can easily be considered the most powerful leader in the world today. There seems to be a broad consensus on this point. Forbes magazine declared Putin the most powerful leader in the world for four consecutive years, from 2013 to 2016. Time magazine, declared Putin Person of the Year in 2007. His admirers and critics both will agree that he has made more of an impact on world affairs than any other leader in the world in recent times.
The main reason for Putin's popularity at home and in the world is because many people feel that he is saying things which they would like to say. Many people like him because they feel that he is standing up to western bullying and coercion.
For too long, the West has used force to impose its will on the rest of the world. It is high time that somebody puts a stop to this practice. Like an abusive husband or father who gets accustomed to using violence against his wife or children, the West feels that it always has the option to use force to make others do what it wants them to do. The West has not really given up its gunboat diplomacy of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Putin has tried to change the West's old bad habits. For this purpose, he has forged an alliance with China to oppose western domination and hegemony. Together, they are working to make the present world order fair and just for everybody. India should join these efforts. The present western-dominated unipolar world should be changed to a multipolar world. Putin will be remembered in history as a major architect of this new world order.
Sawraj Singh
Chairman, Washington State Network for Human Rights
Chairman Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice