Putin Says He Wants to Work With Biden, Claims 'Shared Values' Between Democrats and Communism
Category: News & Politics
Via: dean-moriarty • 4 years ago • 29 commentsBy: David Brennan (Newsweek)
Putin sees the similarities as do I.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Russian President Vladimir Putin has attempted to mark a positive resemblance between Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Soviet communists in a wide-ranging interview with the Rossiya TV channel, released Wednesday as the 2020 vice presidential candidates prepared to debate.
The president said the Kremlin would be open to working with whoever sits in the Oval Office in 2021, despite U.S. intelligence reports indicating that Russia is trying to undermine Biden in the same way it did Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
But Putin linked Biden to communist ideology during the interview. While Putin—a former party member, KGB colonel and intelligence operative—made the comparison in positive terms, his comment lines up with GOP talking points about the Biden-Kamala Harris ticket. Trump and his allies have tried to frame their opponents proposing a far-left, extremist platform dictated by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
"The Democratic Party is traditionally closer to the so-called liberal values, closer to social democratic ideas," Putin said. "And it was from the social democratic environment that the Communist Party evolved."
"After all, I was a member of the Soviet Communist Party for nearly 20 years" Putin added. "I was a rank-and-file member, but it can be said that I believed in the party's ideas. I still like many of these left-wing values. Equality and fraternity. What is bad about them? In fact, they are akin to Christian values."
"Yes, they are difficult to implement, but they are very attractive, nevertheless. In other words, this can be seen as an ideological basis for developing contacts with the Democratic representative."
Putin also reminisced on the Soviet Union's rhetorical support for African-American civil rights struggle. American racial inequality will play a central role in the coming election. Trump has been widely criticized for dismissing the concerns of Black voters and tacitly endorsing violent white supremacist groups.
Trump and his allies have tried to characterize the Black Lives Matter movement, for example, as an extremist and even terrorist organization.
Putin said Black Americans "constitute a stable electorate" in favor of the Democrats. "The Soviet Union also supported the African Americans' movement for their legitimate rights," he said.
"Back in the 1930s, Communist International leaders wrote that both black and white workers had a common enemy-imperialism and capitalism. They also wrote that these people could become the most effective group in the future revolutionary battle."
"So, this is something that can be seen, to a degree, as common values, if not a unifying agent for us," Putin said. "People of my generation remember a time when huge portraits of Angela Davis, a member of the U.S. Communist Party and an ardent fighter for the rights of African Americans, were on view around the Soviet Union."
FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed in September that Russia is spreading disinformation to "denigrate" Biden ahead of the election. American intelligence agencies and lawmakers—including a Republican-led Senate committee—have confirmed extensive contact between Trump's 2016 campaign and Moscow, including multiple individuals linked to Russian intelligence.
Trump and Putin have repeatedly dismissed such reports—the former branding them "fake news"—as an effort to undermine Trump's presidency and damage ties between Washington, D.C. and Moscow.
Putin also pointed out to Rossiya a specific arena where he would be ready to work with a Biden administration, despite the former vice president vowing to address Russian meddling and aggressive foreign policy—promises Putin described as "sharp anti-Russia rhetoric."
"Candidate Biden has said openly that he was ready to extend the New START or to sign a new strategic offensive reductions treaty," Putin said, referring to the landmark nuclear arms control accord that is due to lapse next year. "This is already a very significant element of our potential future cooperation." The Trump administration has thus far refused offers to extend the deal, saying it wants China included in any new nuclear arms deals.
"I would like to repeat what I have said more than once before. We will work with any future president of the United States, the one whom the American people give their vote of confidence," Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of the 7th Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus via video feed at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on September 29, 2020.MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images/Getty
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"Putin linked Biden to communist ideology during the interview."
Well written article with a "gotcha" headline.
Spin baby, spin.
Oh hell to the no.
Dean, you are way too intelligent to buy any of Putin's statements. He needs Donald Trump in office because he knows Trump can be manipulated with a half-assed compliment and a love letter or two. Biden will tell him to go pound sand.
But Pooty's trump's daddy. Has been for years.
Wow Putin can spin like the best of them.
Communism, per the former USSR, was authoritarian, single-party rule with uber Statism. (In fact it was brutal and murderous.) The people of the former USSR were like slaves working for the State machine and living under very modest, oppressed conditions (e.g. imagine apartment buildings with only public shared bathrooms wherein the State scheduled when you were allowed to use same ... seriously, no exaggeration). The State attempted to control the economy by determining both supply and demand (a control economy). They failed; the system never worked well and eventually contributed heavily to the demise of the former USSR.
Communism, per the former USSR, bears no resemblance to the system of the USA or of any system proposed by even the most extreme talking heads here. The only dimension of commonality between Russia and the D party is an affinity for Statism where Russia is at the extreme end.
And when Putin talks about equality he is euphemistically referring to the egalitarian oppression of the former USSR. It was effectively a two-class system: those in the party and the balance of the population. The balance of the population were equal all right, equally oppressed.
Pretty disgusting spin. Biden needs to steer clear of this liar. And people in the USA need to recognize a liar when they hear one.
Maybe that's the connection: class warfare.
Agreed...times 10.
Trump and his allies have tried to frame their opponents proposing a far-left, extremist platform dictated by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Well, we know this is true. Why else would Pelosi be bringing up the 25th Amendment at this time. It certainly isn't about Trump because the election is too close.
Political optics prior to an election.
Just about every person with an ounce of common sense knows that the ultimate goal of the Democrats is to install Harris as president.
Very few people view Biden as being capable of fulfilling the duties of being president.
This viewpoint is a lot less far fetched than some of the smears that have been lodged against Trump.
Of course the Dems will deny it to high heaven.
I think your comment is for another article. This seed is talking about Putin and Biden. ( The ultimate goal of the D party is to have a D PotUS, a D Congress and a D-leaning SCotUS forever; same holds true for the R party. )
it is called panic. they know biden cant win.
OMG! NO ONE Is Showing Up to Biden-Harris Events and NO ONE Is Watching Online – Biden-Harris Have Only 3% of President Trump’s Online Viewership
Just a few weeks ago the reactionaries' propaganda blather was all about "Biden can't put a complete sentence together". Now that everyone can see that Trump is totally unhinged and incoherent, while Biden is reasoned and well-spoken, the reactionaries return to their usual, desperate, losing, fall back talking point that Democrats are communists. What a joke. Good luck with that. No one is buying it.