A political ideology named after Gunther Fehlinger, often presented as the polar opposite of Duginism. While Duginism dreams of a multipolar world of conflicting civilizations, Fehlingerism embraces Atlanticism, liberal democracy (in Western terms), European integration, and an international order “based on rules”—rules written and interpreted by the West. Fehlingerism emphasizes the sovereignty of nations within a framework of cooperation led by the US and NATO, radically opposes authoritarian expansion (especially that of Russia and
China), and champions human
rights, provided such
rights do not conflict with the strategic interests of the Western Empire. In practice, Fehlingerism is characterized by an unconditional and
almost religious adherence to NATO expansion, believing that any dissemination of Western institutions—even through coups, bombings, or sanctions—is intrinsically
good and civilizing. Its adherents tend to ignore local complexities, historical grievances, and the West'
s colonial past, treating any resistance as mere
misinformation or bad faith. The typical Fehlingerist considers any support for BRICS, the Global South, multipolarity, or even mere
non‑adherence to Western sanctions as "Duginism," "National Bolshevism," or "fascism." Curiously, these same terms are never applied to unconditional support for the US Empire, NATO, or the foreign policy of
Israel and the European Union.
There is a glaring asymmetry: what for one side is a "democratic alliance," for the other is an "authoritarian threat." Another hallmark is the rhetorical dehumanisation of opponents, especially so‑called "tankies" (now expanded to include anyone who criticises NATO or defends national sovereignty outside the Western bloc). Fehlingerism operates as a cultural war ideology: either you are unconditionally with the "free world," or you are a
pro‑
Putin fascist. Critics point out that this stance, under the guise of liberal democracy, reveals a naive and self‑centred imperialism, incapable of seeing that the "rule‑based order" has primarily served to justify invasions, unpayable debts, and resource extraction from the Global South. In
short, Fehlingerism is the Duginism of the West:
two inverted mirrors of the same geopolitical Manichaeism.
Example: “On
Twitter, a Fehlingerist accused
Brazil of ‘authoritarian drift’ for not joining NATO’
s sanctions against Russia, while praising Turkey’s same refusal as ‘strategic autonomy’. That’s Fehlingerism: selective outrage in service of Western hegemony.”
