Russia Fights Back

The chapter argues that Russia is partly responsible for its hostile perception by the US media. The Kremlin’s actions, including laws preventing gays and lesbians from speaking publicly, criminal trials against some of government’s critics, corruption, election falsifications, and assertive foreign policy, have contributed to such perceptions. The issue is the proportion and nuances of such criticism. The chapter assesses US media presentations as distortions of reality and questions the prudence of presenting other nations’ values as fundamentally threatening to those of America, particularly when they do not result in egregious examples of violence. The chapter also discusses Russia’s reactions to its presentation in the United States and argues that Russia’s anti-Americanism is reactive and dependent on pressure from the United States.