E132: Marlene Laruelle asks Is Russia Fascist?

The Russia Guy

Today’s guest is Dr. Marlene Laruelle, the director of Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies and the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University. On this episode of The Russia Guy, Dr. Laruelle discussed her 2021 book, “Is Russia Fascist? Unraveling Propaganda East and West,” and its relevance to today’s crisis in Ukraine. We focused specifically on the book’s insights into Russian geopolitics and post-colonialism.

Read more about the book here!

Timestamps for this episode:

• (3:02) Is the book about Putin or Russia?
• (4:10) What’s the role of Russian illiberalism in the current Ukraine crisis?
• (6:40) Why is Russia pressing its case in Ukraine at precisely this moment?
• (8:46) Would Russia get along better with a more illiberal Europe?
• (11:34) Vladimir Putin vs. Charles de Gaulle
• (14:59) Russia’s post-imperial struggle
• (22:37) Normalcy for Russia vs. normalcy for the West

Music and audio for "The Russia Guy":

• Joey Pecoraro, "Russian Dance" Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки”
• Oi Čorna by Yale Women's Slavic Chorus (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)
• Table Dance by The Underscore Orkestra (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US)

Support this show on Patreon!