Jordan Peterson Says Russian Invasion of Ukraine Fueled by ‘Degenerate’ West’s Culture Wars
Jordan Peterson went viral on Monday for all the wrong reasons as he suggested on the latest episode of his podcast that Russia invaded Ukraine because the West is “degenerate.”
“And are we degenerate in a profoundly threatening manner? I think the answer to that may well be yes,” Peterson begins in the clip.
“The idea that we are ensconced in a culture war has become a rhetorical commonplace. How serious is that war?” he then asks.
“Is it serious enough to increase the probability that Russia, say, will be motivated to invade and potentially incapacitate Ukraine merely to keep the pathological west out of that country, which is a key part of the historically Russian sphere of influence?” Peterson then asks, setting up the topic for his Daily Wire podcast.
Peterson then adds, “To answer that question I’ll turn to the analysis of a recent sequence of significant events in the U.S. with broader ramifications for the development of political thought in the West.”
The controversial best-selling author then went on a long rant against Joe Biden and his decision to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Peterson, who the Daily Wire hypes as “one of the most important minds in history,” has long stirred controversy for his opinions about the role of women in society and his claims of a “crisis of masculinity” in the West – which have won him many fans on the far-right.
2/ To explain why Russia is attacking Ukraine, he goes on a long diatribe about Ketanji Brown Jackson. He complains about Biden looking for a black woman and that she wouldn’t answer the question “what is a woman.” pic.twitter.com/iELASsYJKC
— bad_stats (@thebadstats) July 11, 2022
His latest analysis claiming that Western culture wars have “fueled” Russian aggression was widely denounced online and he was called out for making multiple errors in his analysis.
Peterson, who in 2020 sought “emergency” drug detox treatment in Russia, was called out for mispronouncing the Holodomor, a Soviet-era famine that killed millions of Ukrainians in the 1930s, as “Holomodor.” He also appeared to flub the region’s geography, apparently confusing the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea when discussing Ukraine’s energy reserves.
I watched the most bizarre rant by Jordan Peterson about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Repeating what he says will kill brain cells, but a classic moment: He preens about his brilliance & sneers at others because they dont know about “the Holomodor.” It’s Holodomor, Einstein.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) July 11, 2022
Jordan Peterson wants people to think he’s an expert on Ukraine, doesn’t know basic geography. pic.twitter.com/6AfZFNJIhK
— Evo (@evo_homo) July 11, 2022
Political pundit John Iadarola ripped Peterson for his comments, noting:
If in 2022 you still think of Jordan Peterson as an intellectual you’re probably beyond the point of rational thought, but “Russia needed to invade Ukraine to stop it from becoming trans” is an amazing nail in the coffin.
If in 2022 you still think of Jordan Peterson as an intellectual you’re probably beyond the point of rational thought, but “Russia needed to invade Ukraine to stop it from becoming trans” is an amazing nail in the coffin. https://t.co/NDLCcW3QDG
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) July 11, 2022
NBC’s Ben Collins, added, “The generous reading of what this guy’s up to recently is that he’s getting a lot… meaner and vicious.”
“He’s part of a much larger far-right that is becoming more draconian and angry in the last year. He’s the only part of it who is on the endcaps at Barnes & Noble, though,” Collins concluded.
The generous reading of what this guy’s up to recently is that he’s getting a lot… meaner and vicious.
He’s part of a much larger far-right that is becoming more draconian and angry in the last year. He’s the only part of it who is on the endcaps at Barnes & Noble, though. https://t.co/WG7wJVDcKn
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 11, 2022
