NEWSWATCH: “Five myths about Russia” – Washington Post/Masha Gessen
During the 2012 presidential debates, President Obama mocked challenger Mitt Romney for identifying Russia as the ‘No 1. geopolitical foe’ of the United States. ‘The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because the Cold War’s been over for 20 years,’ Obama quipped. Four years later — after Russian aggression in Ukraine and Crimea, along with a political crackdown within its own borders — there’s broad consensus that Russia is indeed a serious threat to the United States and its allies. But there’s still widespread misunderstanding …. MYTH NO. 1 Russia is trying to throw the U.S. election to Donald Trump. … MYTH NO. 2 Putin has made Russia great again. … MYTH NO. 3 Russians overwhelmingly support Putin’s policies…. MYTH NO. 4 Russian society is relatively conservative in its values. … MYTH NO. 5 Russian politics are mostly reactions to the West. …