From Reagan to Red Square

In the 1980s, American conservatives saw Russia as a threat to liberty. Today, too many see it as a role model. What changed? Did we forget the lessons of history, or are we trying to rewrite them?

Writing for the American Conservative, Doug Bandow, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and a former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, promoted unashamed capitulation to Moscow’s aggressive ambitions. One has to stand in awe at the mental distance traveled over the decades; a voyage that began with Reagan calling the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire,” and ended with American conservatives crawling on their knees in Red Square.

In the article titled “The Russia-Ukraine War Belongs to Russia and Ukraine,” Bandow fortifies the boneheaded conclusion that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not only justified but also that Vladimir Putin is a victim backed into a corner by American ambitions, leaving him no choice but to invade. Ignoring actual history, Bandow states, “Trump has admitted [that] the current conflict was fueled by Washington’s multiple broken promises not to expand NATO to Russia’s borders.” He further weakens the U.S. by claiming, “U.S. interests would be best served by cutting off fuel for the conflict, with its dangerous potential of escalating into a nuclear confrontation.” In essence, he argues not for democracy and freedom but for total submission to authoritarianism.

What Bandow purposely ignores is the reality of the moment: that Russia is the aggressor, not America; that NATO was nowhere near Ukraine when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine in 2022; that Putin himself said he doesn’t believe Ukraine should exist as an independent country; that no treaty or memorandum of understanding was ever signed by Washington guaranteeing NATO would not expand toward Russia; that former “buffer nations” of the Soviet Union were not coerced into joining NATO, and in fact, they demanded to join NATO to avoid being overrun again by the Russian empire.

Bandow not only pushes a revisionist narrative, but he’s also helping to spread propaganda that portrays Russia as a victim rather than the aggressor. By repeating the narrative that the war in Ukraine is America’s fault, he changes “America First” into “Blame America First.”

But Bandow is not alone in rewriting history. The practice of revisionism is quickly gaining steam among many American conservatives as they push us toward an increasingly authoritarian political structure not unlike Putin’s Russia. Perhaps all their knee-crawling in Red Square inspired them to look toward Putin as a model for their own ambitions.

Why rewrite history? Rewriting history is the first crucial step toward seizing control of the future. As George Orwell observed in 1984, he who controls the past controls the future, and he who controls the present controls the past.

The threat to America is clear. When the Cold War ended, American conservatives shifted from fighting a foreign “evil empire” to targeting a fictional evil empire within our own borders. It was a straightforward tactic; it simply involved redirecting the propaganda machine to attack liberals, leftists, socialists, and Democrats. This quickly expanded to vilifying the press, banning books, firing museum curators, attacking intellectuals, obsessing over gender identity, replacing institutional leaders with loyalists, and restricting women’s reproductive rights. To destabilize those clinging to democracy, they changed the term “democracy” to “Constitutional Republic” and then began undermining core constitutional principles such as birthright citizenship, freedom of the press, and the right to peacefully assemble. They even challenged the core ideals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—concepts that echo back to the Declaration of Independence, which states that all men are created equal.

So, how did we get here? How did we get to a point where conservatives no longer talk about our democracy as the “shining city on a hill,” but a trash heap of liberal excesses?

American conservatives, under Reagan, opened their tent to Christian extremists. Over time, these extremists implemented a blueprint for societal control that mirrored the political theology emerging in Russia, where a fusion of religious nationalism, patriarchal dominance, and state-enforced morality permeates government. Similar to Putin, Conservatives in America go along for the ride, faking obedience to Christian norms so long as it meets their needs.

Donald Trump recognized an opportunity in this trend and quickly rose to the top of the growing anti-democratic political movement in America. Though deeply flawed, he became the leader of conservative and Christian Americans, similar to the story of Moses, who was also deeply flawed yet led his people to the Promised Land. The narrative fits perfectly; the more flaws Trump reveals, the more suitable he seems for the role.

Like Putin, Trump isn’t a saint; he’s a symbol. He breaks all the norms and most of the rules because that’s what strongmen do. American conservatives who feel emasculated by changing demographics and evolving views on equality find a deep sense of empowerment in watching Trump act with impunity as he “owns the libs.” They envision a world where their power is restored, and Trump is the leader who can deliver them to the new Promised Land. But when you look behind the curtain, an ugly truth emerges: authoritarian leaders are rarely admired for their virtue, but are instead revered for their dominance—a dominance that inevitably turns to violence. Trump, and largely Putin, are the strongmen American conservatives have dreamed of since Reagan left office in 1989. It’s no surprise that some people see Trump as being sent by God. He stands confidently and defiantly at the crossroads of Church and State.

The irony is almost too rich to stomach: the Cold War ended with a victory for democracy, but the aftermath might still bring its demise. And Vladimir Putin, who never stopped fighting that war, won’t need missiles to win it. He only needs enough American conservatives like Doug Bandow willing to kneel before him and spread the propaganda.