The Professor Promoting Kremlin Propaganda
Is John Mearsheimer operating in good faith?
If you know Professor John Mearsheimer, you likely know how controversial he is, whether you agree with him or not. Instead of placing the onus on Putin since his 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea, Mearsheimer has defended and excused Putin’s actions. All the while parroting and promoting Kremlin propaganda.
Many on the America First far right in the United States consume everything Mearsheimer says. They love him in Russia too, for obvious reasons.
And the guy rarely shies away from a media opportunity.
I had been reading many of Mearsheimer’s Foreign Affairs articles in the early days of Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. I had seen his name popping up everywhere, from mainstream media to Medium articles. Many writers cite him as a supreme authority on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as if no rebuttal exists to refute his points.
So when I saw his name recently on a Lex Fridman podcast, I had to listen. I’ve never agreed with his views post-2014 on this conflict, but all of us should challenge our preconceptions. We should constantly be testing potential biases.
For those who don’t know, the Lex Fridman podcast is pretty good. I enjoy his interview style and love how he digs deep into topics with a ray of hope and optimism.
Unfortunately, in areas where he’s not well-versed (like international relations - note, Fridman is a computer scientist), he doesn’t always know the right questions to ask. In those scenarios, I often find him resorting to the Joe Rogan approach: let the guest talk, and talk, and talk some more.
Unchecked.
This is basically what happened in Lex’s discussion with John Mearsheimer. In fairness, Lex tried to ask a few probing and clarifying questions, but he didn’t bring up any of the criticism that’s all over the internet about Mearsheimer.
And this isn’t just any criticism. It’s from many credible authorities in academia, including Professor Michael McFaul at Stanford (who worked in the Obama Administration) and Professor Paul Proast (who works at the University of Chicago with Mearsheimer and vehemently disagrees with him).
After listening to the entire Mearsheimer interview and seeing it generate millions of views, I decided I needed to make this video:
In the video I go point-by-point through the main arguments Mearsheimer makes, placing all blame on the West, and the United States in particular, for the Ukraine War.
Give it a watch and let me know your thoughts.
I cannot emphasize enough that Mearsheimer’s views should not be viewed as simple ivory tower, tweed jacket banter. These are not perspectives reserved solely for the stuffy halls of elite academic institutions.
Mearsheimer’s views have real-world implications.
People consume them with fervor. His opinions are used to defend the worst dictator of the 21st century: Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin itself even highlights Mearsheimer’s work.
To be clear - I don’t think Mearsheimer is a Russian asset or is operating in bad faith. I do think he’s been terribly wrong in his analysis since 2014.
He also misses the larger picture in Ukraine. Why it’s in all of our best interests that Ukraine prevails in defending its independence from Russia.
Assuming you like democracy, of course.
If Ukraine can retake the illegally annexed territories and potentially even Crimea, it would be a huge security win for democracy. It would give the West a key ally at the crossroads of authoritarianism; an ally with a well-trained and experienced military.
It would also send a serious message to all other authoritarians around the world (looking at you, China): borders must be observed and state sovereignty must be respected.
As I noted in the video, however, Ukraine is in an impossible position. Its counter-offensive failed this past spring and summer. Winter is coming and everyone is digging in along the front lines. It looks more like a stalemate every day.
It’s hard to see this getting any better for Ukraine, but the West cannot give up now. The risks of conceding to Putin are too great.
Even an admirer of Putin like John Mearsheimer would have to agree. Provided he analyzes the situation as an offensive realist, not as a Putin appeaser.
ELSEWHERE…
Have a good week.