Communism let Russia claim superiority to the West via Western ideology

Evidence

An obvious consequence of repudiating Marxism was that one now sought to make sense of the world of colonies and empires much less in terms of classes, much more in terms of nations and countries and races, and thought of imperialism itself not as a hierarchically structured system of global capitalism but as a relation, of governance and occupation, between richer and poorer countries, West and non-West. And whether one said so or not, one inevitably believed that ideas – culture’ was the collective term in most mystifications, or discourse’, but it mainly meant books and films – and not the material conditions of life which include the instance of culture itself, determine the fate of peoples and nations. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 70 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Leftist intellectuals defended the USSR as an ideal worth moral compromises — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 771; Adopting Western ideology drew Russia closer to the West than ever — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 387; Russian Westernizers sought central power rather than democracy. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 383 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Repudiating Marxism reframed global power as a West-non-West relation of nations rather than classes #complicates (0.81) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 70