First Things ponders the thrice daily Russia hate we're seeing

Read it here. 

My take?  Chalk this up to yet another 'You once heard post-war liberalism say, but the Left now says' that has become the norm.  In this case, you heard how stupid, racist, backwater, intolerant and petty Americans were for hating all things Japanese, German, Italian, Middle Eastern, or even English (Revolutionary War period), but we now say you must hate all things Russia in a way that would shame a WWII propagandist. 

Why can we so easily indulge in what was once proof of how bad America was? It's easier now for a couple reasons, at least as I see it:

First, we've been practicing our own American Rage Hate for years.  Beginning in earnest with the Charleston Church Shooting, the hating on America has almost replaced apple pie and baseball as the great American pastime.  Since 2020, that's spilled over onto all things Western and White.  If it's from north of the Mediterranean, West of the Urals, and White North America, you can bet it's Nazi racist genocide slavery output that must go.  Books, movies, television shows, art, memorials, statues, product mascots, sports mascots, awards, you name it.  Not a week goes by that something American heritage or Christian European isn't cast onto the digital bonfires.  So how much easier to cancel all things Russian when canceling our own nation and civilization has been the social fad of the decade? 

Second, deflection.  We all know that Putin may be the enemy, but he was helped and encouraged by bumbling and poor decisions here on the NATO side of the tracks.  Our debacle in Afghanistan no doubt encouraged him.  And who can forget Reset Button and 'The Cold War is calling'?  Things like that don't excuse Putin and the Russians, but they sure add to the explanations of how it came to this.  Given that our current Media State has its guy in office, anything to deflect from asking such questions is a plus. 

Third, embellish the narrative.  Speaking of Putin as the enemy.  Following the 2016 defeat of Hillary Clinton, the idea that Putin got into bed with Trump and produced a legion of election hijackers who wrecked the democratic process became the official narrative.  Putin and Russia were now the Great Satan for the Left.  Working with Trump, their goal was to destroy American democracy (before the liberals got to), destroy our electoral processes, and enslave all minorities for Trump's business ventures.  That's why Trump was impeached for his phone call to Ukraine.  So keeping Putin as Hitler/Nazi and all Russians as a threat to the world helps buttress this already crucial media narrative for explaining the 2016 election results. 

Fourth, Russia is doing everything to appear 'the worst of the past.'  The invasion invokes memories of Germany plowing across the Polish border.  Russia is going all Total War, doing to Keiv what Germany did to Rotterdam.  Putin has presented himself as bold defender of Russia's traditions and past glories.  He has taken harsh stands against the various immoral developments we've seen in the West - even if he doesn't actually care about them personally. He has cozied with the Russian Orthodox Church which has returned his advances.   All of this sets him against Zelenski's Ukraine.  As a Jewish leader, he holds no brief for the Christian elements of Ukraine's past.  News for Christians - many who are Jewish still have little love for the actual Christian Faith and its former place in our society.  Plus he's hardcore left of liberal in his social and cultural designs.  Free abortions, unrestrained sexual license, all things morally left permissible and championed, minimizing glories of the past and wanting to start anew with a modern state looking at ourselves - all of these make it a beautiful 'New World Order' defending itself against the usual evil of the Old Christian European World Order'. 

Finally, Russia is White.  My whole life I've seen the cultural chastisement of our wars against Vietnam, or Iraq, or Al-Qaeda, or Japan, in which Americans could blur the line between waging war and hating ethnic non-Whites.  Almost immediately after 9/11, the emphasis was on praising and uplifting Islam, making any questions about the rise of this Islamic brand of terrorism akin to being a Nazi hating Jews.  We might technically be able to do something in response to the terrorist attacks, but it cannot in any way be negative questions about the Middle East, Islam, Muslims, or any such thing.  Quite frankly, it's a bit of a relief to once again say we have seen the enemy, and they deserve to suffer.  Period. No parsing or squirming or nuance. Just Putin/Russia are evil, destroy!  Especially when we can so easily link the Russians (Christian and White) to reason number one above. 

So that's my take, for what it's worth.