When Russia launched an unprovoked attack upon Ukraine, they expected an easy victory. It’s clear now that despite the atrocities and cruelty of the conflict, Ukrainians won’t give up the fight, and most in the West back their struggle for freedom. The only place where Russia seems to have had any success in their operations is the propaganda war.

If you asked any red-blooded American who their least favorite countries are, it’s likely that North Korea, Syria, Iran, and China, as well as those run by former Communists are likely to top the list. And those are exactly the countries among the only ones supporting Russia in this war, showing the power of propaganda to blind MAGA supporters so well.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.