Alexander Mercouris of The Duran discusses Russophobia as a long-running political and cultural story. Mercouris explains how anti-Russian images were built in Britain and France, how fear and hate mix together, and why the West keeps repeating weak and evil stereotypes about Russia. He also talks about Gorbachev, NATO, Russian agency, and how culture, travel, and open debate could help break these false ideas.Links:The Duran:    / @theduran  Alexander Mercouris:    / @alexmercouris  Alex Christoforou:    / @alexchristoforou  Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com(Opt in for Academic Section from your profile settings: https://pascallottaz.substack.com/s/a...)Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shopDonation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donateTimestamps:00:00:00 Introduction and Russophobia origins00:06:58 Politics behind the narrative00:13:20 Russia as weak but dangerous00:18:13 Russia, culture, and the “good Russian”00:24:30 Gorbachev, reform, and Western bias00:33:03 NATO, power, and why Russia was excluded00:37:28 What Russia can do to fight back00:44:19 Film, music, and culture examples