Global Security and Intelligence Studies • Volume 4 , Number 2 • Fall / Winter 2019
The Neglected Dimension of Ideology in Russia ’ s Political Warfare Against the West
Armin Krishnan East Carolina University , Greenville , NC , USA
Abstract
The Cold War was in its essence an ideological conflict where the political ideas of Western liberal democracy competed with communism . The New Cold War with Russia has claimed to be a purely geopolitical conflict or a conflict over the influence and control of world regions and resources . The dimension of ideology tends to be neglected in Western analyses of Russia ’ s political warfare , which focus mostly on the propaganda and disinformation aspects . This article argues that Russia has developed a new ideology that again presents itself as a viable alternative social model to the West and it has an alternative vision of world order . Russia ’ s new ideology contains aspects that make it appealing to larger societal groups in the West , both on the political right and on the political left . In order to win this new “ war of ideas ,” the West must take Russian ideology seriously and must engage in this “ war of ideas ” as was done during the original Cold War .
Keywords : Russian ideology , political warfare , Eurasianism , propaganda
La dimensión descuidada de la ideología en la guerra política de Rusia contra Occidente
Armin Krishnan East Carolina University , Greenville , NC , EE . UU .
Resumen
La Guerra Fría fue en esencia un conflicto ideológico donde las ideas políticas de la democracia liberal occidental competían con el comunismo . La Nueva Guerra Fría con Rusia ha afirmado ser un
25 doi : 10.18278 / gsis . 4.2.3