Kost Elisevich

“Tankie” definition: an individual on the far left or far right of the political spectrum who aligns with corrupt foreign authoritarian regimes to promote their foreign policy agenda, thinking them to be superior to that of their own nation. (Russian translation: “useful idiot”)

“Thinking of things is difficult; therefore, let the herd pronounce judgment.” – Carl G Jung   
With that sarcasm, so goes the global campaign of Russian disinformation in its various forms spread by well-funded media trolls, ill-informed journalists, political hacks and academics whose bias exceeds the guardrails of scholarship: Enter the tankies. The rhetoric is commonplace and repetitive giving one the feeling that, despite its absurdity, the more often it’s said, the more likely it will be taken as “truth.” To be clear, the United States (U.S.) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) did not instigate the war in Ukraine as some scholars are desperate to claim and others are keen to regurgitate. A summary of the relevant arguments may be found in this series of essays under the title, “Putin’s Designs on Empire vs Putin’s Fear of NATO Encroachment” (July 1, 2023). Likewise, the idea that Ukraine was a Nazi stronghold that somehow threatened Russia’s sovereignty and cultural purity is reflected back upon Putin’s monumental distortions of history and penchant for disinformation as a means of manipulating Western sentiment. Some insight into this can be found in the essay entitled, “Russian Disinformation and the Inconvenience of Truth – 1941 and 2022” (May 10, 2023).

The past 21 months of war in Ukraine have brought us numerous images of irrefutable atrocities committed by Russian troops that warrant prosecution of individual combatants, their officers, and the Kremlin leadership, not least of whom stands Vladimir Putin. Truth moves us with its immediacy and by its foretelling of what is yet to come given what has been seen. Hence, attempts to render apologies for Putin’s criminality or to justify reasons for Russia retaining Ukrainian territory it has overrun should be taken as misinformed and irresponsible. The contrivances of those who choose to avoid the reality of Russia’s naked aggression and to create the illusion that others are responsible for perpetrating this terror in Ukraine is an affront to human intellect. These entities offer no solution to the conflict but simply a message to the West and NATO, in particular, to cease and desist, knowing that Putin has no desire to do the same as long as his mission of restoring an empire remains incomplete.

Notable examples of this sort of activity are movements in the West under the title of, “Rage Against the War Machine,” the “Peace and Justice Network,” and “Peace Now! Stop the War, Stop NATO.” These entities and demonstrations have recruited the likes of past and present Green Party and conservative libertarian political aspirants from the U.S. and Canada and other spent politicians, purveyors of Russian propaganda on social media, leftist journalists and social activists who feel obliged to give their opinions on matters in which, at best, they have a cursory understanding. Their pronouncements amount to the following:

• Nuclear war is upon us. It appears from this sort of understanding that any nation with nuclear arms capability may, at will, invade a sovereign nation feeling secure that it may do so without having to answer for the transgression. Accordingly, this now is the world in which we presumably must live. The threat of nuclear war exists here and elsewhere and each nation with such capability must answer for itself whether it wishes to risk self-immolation should it launch such a first-strike. Bravado by the likes of former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and honorary chairman of Russia’s Council on Foreign and Domestic Policy, Sergei Karaganov, seem quickly tempered by those Russians more bestowed with some modicum of sense.
  
  
• Domestic concerns require funding. Like it or not, foreign policy must coexist with domestic concerns in the affairs-of-state of all nations, particularly those of a major global player such as the U.S. When a rogue nation chooses to destabilize a region of the world for the purpose of territorial gain, obstructing worldwide food distribution, creating far-reaching economic strife and undermining democratic principles, is there not reason to act, even when the only immediate recourse is military? What is thought to be a local and seemingly isolated affair in eastern Europe is, in fact, part of a long history of Russian meddling and outright incursions that have threatened global welfare, specifically to the detriment of the West and the U.S. The intent is one of harm to the U.S., its economy and its geopolitical standing.

Russia is currently engaged in conducting paramilitary actions with its Wagner mercenary group in several African nations, benefiting from their natural resources while undermining their national interests. It continues supporting the Assad regime in Syria to gain political influence and establish military bases in the Middle East while profiting as well from local natural resources. Wagner mercenaries are undertaking similar strategic actions in Latin America and the Caribbean with a presence in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, bastions of anti-U.S. sentiment. One might ask, therefore, where is it that the U.S. pushes back if not Ukraine, stopping Russia at its own doorstep, helping the nations of Europe withstand Russian belligerence and bringing it and Putin himself finally and rightfully to account.

The U.S. has shown itself, under responsible leadership, to conduct both significant foreign and domestic affairs simultaneously and effectively. In the present circumstance with Ukraine, it is committing none of its own forces to a conflict. In the process, it has gained invaluable information regarding Russian military preparedness and the effectiveness of deterrence measures while it seeks to bring a brutal aggressor to justice.

• Negotiate for Peace. Attempting to negotiate with a murderer in the process of murdering remains a problem here. Putin has a demonstrated record of brutality coupled with a disregard for his own people. He has no intentions of cooperating with any negotiations until he achieves his end; to do otherwise would force him to admit to the several crimes that have been committed and would threaten his regime. What is more, he is watching far-right Trumpist Republican efforts in the U.S. arguing for the complete cessation of aid for Ukraine. Unless what is meant by “negotiations” amounts to the surrender by Ukraine of all territories under Russian occupation, there will be no settlement. Such a result would seriously compromise Ukraine’s economy and threaten its own survival. Moreover, the conflict would resume after a convenient time in order to complete the initial purpose of the war and invade the remainder of Ukrainian territory. Following this, all eyes would be on Moldova to the south where its northeastern territory of Transnistria already has been under the influence of a pro-Russian faction and where a small Russian military presence exists. What then of the Baltic nations?
  
  
• NATO should be dissolved. Really? We’re speaking of a multinational defensive alliance into which the great majority of European nations, most recently those of eastern Europe, have now entered primarily for the purpose of security against the one nation, Russia, that has had a long history of belligerence toward its neighbors. These requests were not solicited or coerced by NATO but freely undertaken as was their right under the Helsinki Accords of 1975. A unilateral disarmament on such a scale as is suggested would expose Europe to the threat of authoritarianism to a degree not experienced since World War II (WWII). The rhetoric is more a senseless soundbite that might appeal to those who have lost the thread of history and believe that their futures can be tied to the likes of Putin. These are the ultimate tankies.                

“One of the peculiar sins of the 20^th century which we’ve developed to a very high level is the sin of credulity. It has been said that when humans stop believing in God, they believe in nothing. The truth is much worse: they believe in anything.” – Malcolm Muggeridge
This sentiment had already been borne out by the middle of the 20^th century when the Nazi propaganda machine began operations and has evolved to the present day’s social media industry. This industry has largely failed to contain rampant disinformation with its denial of evident truth and its rather intentional message of hatred for “the other.”

Putin has exploited the use of disinformation and inherent social division in the West to divert attention away from his real intentions in Ukraine, especially in the U.S. where he has garnered praise among media notables, American evangelicals and Republican politicians. Representative democracy is at stake as Putin not only sees it as a threat on his own borders but globally. Its dismantling in the U.S., a stronghold of democracy, would demonstrate to the world, that it and not authoritarianism, can be degraded and extinguished.

Tankies have taken up his themes, some intentionally, others perhaps more guided by their particular prejudices. Social media, in turn, has allowed for high-volume channeling of rapid, repetitive, and continuous output without commitment to reality or consistency. In doing so, it accelerates the tendency for individuals to categorize themselves within particular groups, to build part of their identity by membership within them, even to seek justification for them beyond the restraints of reason as social identity theory has demonstrated. It goes on then to enforce barriers against other groups and disallows adequate discourse in the process. With this comes the lunacy that, at times, overtakes society and, in particular, certain institutions.

While a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted for continuing support for Ukraine (311:117), 69 Republicans chose to deny funding. More than half were elected to their seats in the previous two cycles, 2020 and 2022, enough to show the corrosive influence that the previous Republican administration has had upon the American ideal and the principals upon which it stands. The majority hailed from southern states with 29% of this group representing districts in just two states, Texas (11) and Florida (9). Their reasoning for casting such a vote reflects the flawed rhetoric of tankies. They are hard-pressed to find foundation that adequately supports their contentions – behavior unbecoming of those holding such an office. Appeasement of Russia, as former House Representative Liz Cheney recently announced and, as historian Heather Cox Richardson reiterated, reminds us of the anniversary of the September 30, 1938 Munich Agreement when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain bartered for peace with Adolph Hitler by allowing Germany’s annexation of the Sudetenland. The latter was a part of the sovereign nation of Czechoslovakia and the move only fueled Hitler’s ongoing plan to overtake much of Europe less than a year later with the launch of WWII. Do we really think there is reason to believe that Putin will not carry on with his imperialist notions?

A populist sentiment has crept into the national mindset here in the U.S. that challenges the purpose of giving aid to Ukraine in its defense against an unlawful invasion in favor of providing more funding for domestic concerns. As a reminder, the U.S. ranks 12^th globally in aid to Ukraine as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) at 0.33% during the period from January 24, 2022 to May 31, 2023. The top five nations that have comparatively contributed more (0.63% – 1.26%) are those most threatened by Russia in their immediate vicinity – the Baltic nations, Poland, and Slovakia. The argument, of course, avoids the fact that Russia has and will continue to cost the U.S. much more by the menace it creates globally with the intent of undermining it. There is no end in sight to this drainage of funds, resources and, at times, American lives, unless the U.S. chooses to call for it now – to bring Russia to account and do so on the soil and the waters of another land that has chosen to carry the fight for it and to do so on its own by the will of its people.

Copyright @Kost Elisevich, MD, PhD 2023. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.