> The Pro-Soviet western marxists of the past often became today's western pro-Russian "populists"
Please expand on that. The only thing that backing the Soviet Union and current day Russia seem to have in common is that they are both aggressive, authorities regimes. Maybe I’m missing some nuance here.
To clarify: it both makes no sense and also occurs. I've seen it in my country. Our Communist Party supports Russia in the current war, out of nostalgia for the Soviet Union.
Does it make sense? None at all. Russia and the Soviet Union share nothing today. Putin likes to remember past military glories of the USSR but rebukes communism and his country is the land of oligarchs. Ideologically Russia and the USSR are nothing alike.
I've not read anything from Maoists on Russia's current invasion, but I likewise can believe they oppose it, for the same broken thought process: if they identify Putin's Russia with their hated historical enemy, the Soviets, then of course they are against it!
Completely bonkers, I know, but it has some bizarre logic.
I also have friends like that, that are just too far invested in the "America is always evil" narrative. Yes, the US does plenty dubious things. It doesn't contradict Putin being even worse.
Please expand on that. The only thing that backing the Soviet Union and current day Russia seem to have in common is that they are both aggressive, authorities regimes. Maybe I’m missing some nuance here.