The Impact of Russia’s Invasions of Ukraine on Putin’s Regime and State Institutions

by | May 23, 2024 | International Relations

Prompt:
Many scholars and politicians have recognized that Vladimir Putin’s system has been quite stable. However,
According to David White, Putin’s “state-building project … has not been based on state strengthening but has had much more to do with regime consolidation.” In your assessment, is it still true or not, following Russia’s invasions of Ukraine? Put differently, has the war (1) predominantly strengthened Putin’s regime, or (2) also made the state institutions and performance stronger? In arguing your case, please select evidence from two separate areas of Russia’s development (nation-building, political economy, governance, elections and political protest, foreign policy, etc.). Please be sure to define key concepts such as state-building, regime consolidation, and others.

The essay should be organized as follows (please keep the headings in the essay):
Title: conveys your central point
Introduction: summarizes your position & key points
Argument: formulates 2-3 main claims & defines key termsVladimir Putin’s system
Evidence: supports the main points with facts, examples, or figures
Counter-argument: addresses objections to the argument with logic & evidence
Conclusion: briefly summarizes the overall analysis & its implications.

 

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

 

 

Title: The Impact of Russia’s Invasions of Ukraine on Putin’s Regime and State Institutions

Introduction

Vladimir Putin’s system has long been perceived as stable, with a focus on regime consolidation rather than state strengthening. However, the question arises: Have Russia’s invasions of Ukraine predominantly bolstered Putin’s regime or also led to the strengthening of state institutions and performance? This essay aims to delve into this question by examining evidence from different areas of Russia’s development.

Argument

In light of Russia’s invasions of Ukraine, it can be argued that the actions have primarily strengthened Putin’s regime rather than enhancing state institutions and performance. The concept of state-building, focusing on institutional development and governance capabilities, contrasts with regime consolidation, which emphasizes maintaining power and control without necessarily improving state functionality.

Evidence

Nation-building

Putin’s aggressive actions in Ukraine have sparked nationalist sentiments in Russia, rallying public support behind him. This has allowed Putin to solidify his grip on power, portraying himself as a strong leader defending Russian interests. However, this nationalist fervor has not translated into significant improvements in state institutions or governance practices.

Foreign Policy

The invasions of Ukraine have led to international isolation for Russia, with sanctions imposed by Western countries. Despite this, Putin has used the conflict to bolster his image domestically, presenting himself as a defender of Russian sovereignty against external threats. This focus on external conflicts has diverted attention and resources away from addressing internal governance issues.

Counter-argument

Some may argue that the invasions of Ukraine have forced Russia to modernize its military capabilities, thereby indirectly strengthening state institutions. While this may be true to some extent, the primary impact has been on reinforcing Putin’s regime through nationalist propaganda and the suppression of dissent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Russia’s invasions of Ukraine have predominantly served to consolidate Putin’s regime rather than enhance state institutions and performance. The emphasis on nationalism and external conflicts has overshadowed efforts to address governance challenges within Russia. Moving forward, it is essential to distinguish between regime consolidation and genuine state-building efforts to ensure long-term stability and progress for the country.

 

 

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