Alexandr Dugin

AOI Observer reader Fabio Lins has a keen interest in political philosophy and culture. Occasionally he sends me links of debates happening elsewhere which always prove interesting and timely. Yesterday he notified me of an online debate between Russian nationalist Alexandr Dugin and conservative Brazilian philosopher Olavo de Carvalho. I asked Fabio to write an introduction included below.

The current globalization process is like the multi-headed hydra. Unlike the mythological monster, it seems to have no heart which, once slain, would stop it.

Internally, American conservatives feel and see it as the wave of liberal ideologies and policies that threaten to choke and destroy the very roots of the country. Externally, many conservatives from their own cultural perspective see in these same liberal global forces an expression of American imperialism. These same forces which fight American conservatism are understood as tentacles of American conservatism itself.

The Russian Alexandr Dugin seems to be one these foreign conservatives. A Russian nationalist, he has been called “the most influential post-soviet thinker” and suspected of close ties with Putin’s office. He created the concept of an “Eurasian Movement”, a China-Russia alliance, including Muslim participation against the Globalist Agenda which he and his followers understand to be the weapons of conservative America for world hegemony.

The Brazilian philosopher Olavo de Carvalho couldn’t think more differently. Since the 90s he has become persona-non-grata in the liberal circles of Brazil – which is pretty much *all* the local intelligentsia – due to his strict adherence to independence of individual thinking and to conservative values. After having his and his family lives threatened by radical leftists, he found refuge in the United States, where he was granted a green card due to “extraordinary ability” in the area of philosophical and politcal studies. His own ideas are that there are three main players on the global arena today: Western Globalism based mainly on economical power, Muslim religious ideology of the Global Califat, and the military Eurasian alliance proposed by Dugin, the only one that can be understood in terms of classical international analysis, being directly related to national interests.. Western Globalism for Olavo is the *nemesis* of American historical conservatism and could only advance if taming or destroying it.

Coming from these different perspectives, Olavo and Dugin have agreed to participate in an online debate on the place of the USA in the new world order. They have already made their initial statements by answering the question:

“What are the historical, political, ideological and economic factors and actors that now define the dynamics and configuration of power in the world and what is the U.S. position in what is known as New World Order?”

on the website (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/

The rules for the debate can be found here (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/2011/02/8-debate-structure.html

Dugin’s background can be found here (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/2011/01/alexandr-dugin.html

And Olavo’s background here (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/2011/01/olavo-de-carvalho.html

Here is Dugin’s reply to the question (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/2011/03/alexander-dugin-introduction.html

And here is Olavo’s (link opens in new window):
http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.com/2011/03/olavo-de-carvalho-introduction.html

Olavo’s website in English (link opens in new window):
http://www.olavodecarvalho.org/english/

Dugin’s Eurasian Main Principles (link opens in new window):
http://www.evrazia.info/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=421