Paul Goble — Orthodox Fundamentalism Becomes Dangerously ‘Respectable’ in Russia, Knorre Says

First Russia was a problem because it was atheistic. Now it is a problem because it is too Christian.

Is Western liberalism is just another form of our-way-or-the-highway? 

This is fundamental paradox of liberalism. 

Liberalism is anti-liberal about anything that is perceived as anti-liberal. It's similar to the libertarian view that democracy is the tyranny of the majority. 

All ideologies are grounded in assumptions asserted dogmatically.

The final analysis disagreement over opposing assumptions can only be resolved by either tolerance (which is the basis of liberalism) or conflict. But everyone, including most liberals, has boundaries, so at some point tolerance breaks down and conflict arises.

Interestingly also, the post also criticizes the Russian view as being based on "specialness," while overlooking both American "exceptionalism" and the Nazi view of "Aryan" specialness.

Window on Eurasia -- New Series
Orthodox Fundamentalism Becomes Dangerously ‘Respectable’ in Russia, Knorre Says
Paul Goble

BTW, from the Russian Orthodox Christian POV the West has become anti-Christian and morally degenerate, so it runs both ways. But there is no inconsistency in the Russian Orthodox position. This has been the Christian view since Roman times when Christians regarded Romans as morally degenerate.

This is the position of most traditional societies. One of the main tenets of so-called radical Islam is the belief that believers have an obligation to fight moral degeneracy and the West is viewed as the perpetrator of moral degeneracy worldwide through the promotion of the values of Western liberalism.

This is an ideological war that is likely to occupy the rest of this century at least.