RT is an official Russian news and video service. YouTube has just suspended RT’s two German-language channels, thereby provoking the ire of the Russian government.
Google is richer and more powerful than most sovereign states, so a dispute between it and Russia very much resembles an international diplomatic crisis. If Google were a country, Russia would have just recalled its ambassador from it.
Below are three recent German-language articles from RT translated by Hellequin GB. The first two appeared before YouTube’s suspension of RT’s channels.
Alexander Dugin on the results of the federal election: “German politics is characterized by self-hatred”
The general election that took place on Sunday puts an end to the Angela Merkel era. In an exclusive interview with RT DE, the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin comments on the election result and its consequences for Russian-German relations.
After the general election on Sunday, RT DE spoke to the Russian philosopher, political scientist and sociologist Alexander Dugin. In an exclusive interview with the broadcaster, the 59-year-old commented on the election result and its consequences for German-Russian relations. The political scientist described the previous general election as unusual. He pointed to the “colossal” defeat of the CDU and the CSU. The result means a blow against the right-wing center and the right-wing liberals, with whom Russia has had good relations. At the same time, Dugin recalled that the bilateral relationship had been even better during the chancellorship of SPD politician Gerhard Schröder.
“Relations between Russia and Germany have a much deeper dimension and go beyond this or that governing coalition.”
According to Dugin, only something extraordinary, such as a Greens victory that many had prophesied, could radically worsen that ratio. The political scientist described Annalena Baerbock as a representative of the movement of US investor George Soros and accused her party of being more globalist than green. Dugin pointed out, among other things, that the Greens had spoken out against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“The Social Democrats, who have now won, and the CDU/CSU represent a continuation of the status quo for Russia.”
In his conversation with RT DE , the philosopher said that relations between Russia and Germany were anything but wonderful. He cited the dependence of German foreign policy on the US government as the reason for this, even though the country was economically very strong and sympathized with Russia.
“Germany is completely dependent on US politics. It is not a sovereign state. …In this respect, it has been an occupied territory to a certain extent so far.”
Dugin described the US military presence in Germany as a continuation of the post-war occupation despite the Soviet troop withdrawal. Although Germany tries to defend its economic interests, it only partially succeeds. The thinker, citing several colleagues, announced that the country was facing a turbulent period with a possible political and social crisis. Too many contradictions have accumulated.
“The Germans are indeed very chaotic. All of their order stems from the fact that they know this and are terribly afraid of this chaos.”
The political scientist also commented on the fate of so-called European continentalism under Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor. Dugin stressed that the positions of continentalism had been stronger under Schröder. Against the backdrop of the Iraq war in 2003, the Paris-Berlin-Moscow axis emerged, but was later destroyed by the so-called Atlanticists. Under Merkel, continentalism took a few steps backwards. Although the Chancellor tried to smooth out certain currents, she was in the wake of US Atlanticism and a “docile” politician. There are, however, tendencies towards continentalism in the SPD, the Left and the AfD.
Dugin also explained the AfD’s loss of votes, although he himself had previously predicted an upturn in the party. The AfD is challenging the consensus of the liberal pro-Western elites, walking a fine line by accusing them of extremism. However, the AfD is bourgeois through and through.
“Sometimes the German philistine simply breaks the patience. That’s why he has to formulate his views much harder, and that’s why he votes for the AfD.”
However, this party had started to crumble and failed to find a plausible ideological model. It didn’t take the chance and lost votes because of the internal disputes. At the same time, Dugin expressed the opinion that Germany needed a party that would criticize liberalism, Atlanticism and globalization. During the turbulent times ahead, the AfD will strengthen its positions if it is smart enough to seize the opportunity.
In his exclusive interview with RT DE , the philosopher also commented on the record number of votes for the Greens. He described environmental protection as the last refuge for politicians who had nothing to say.
“The absolute lack of a political philosophy is being replaced by simplified notions about the need to protect the environment.”
Dugin linked the success of the Greens to infantilism, myopia and hysteria. The political scientist was very pleased that the result for the Greens was more modest than previously forecast. If they came to power, there would be no more international politics in Germany. For Russia, the strengthening of their positions would be anything but positive. The political scientist compared the actions of the Greens with fascism. In Germany, due to the excessive striving for order and rationality, this ultimately degenerated into nationalistic madness.
“Today it is the other way around: the idea of freedom, relaxation, humanity, charity and indulgence in vices and diseases now lead to the opposite pole by virtue of the same German excessiveness.”
Since the Greens are against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, among other things, nothing good can be foreseen for the bilateral relationship with Russia in the case of their government. According to Dugin, the project is beneficial for both Berlin and Moscow. German industry needs Russian mineral resources in order to maintain the status quo in the economy and the pace of growth.
Dugin described relations between Washington and Berlin as not an equal dialogue. The US government treats Germany like a colony that has long been economically autonomous and independent.
“This very contradiction causes the American-German relationship. The Germans would pay a high price to increase their sovereignty even a little, but the Americans hold it as George Floyd was once held so that he couldn’t breathe.”
This contradiction is anything but healthy. After the Second World War, the German ideology was that the German people should hate everything German. Dugin called this phenomenon “politics of self-hatred”. This contradiction also shapes the relationship between Berlin and Moscow. Germany is only to be pitied in this situation, especially since it already suffers from a kind of Stockholm Syndrome.
A record number of immigrants attempted to cross the border from Belarus to Poland on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a record number of immigrants were caught and detained after they attempted to enter Hungary last Friday.
