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talkpoliticsAs expected, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany was turned into another militaristic show-off in Russia. The event was everywhere around the news. At some point the patriotic craze even reached ridiculous extremes, for example the Gazeta newspaper came up with a front-page title, "Germany Attacks the USSR!" With the word "LIVE" in the caption. One'd think, what? Not again!? But just as the reader is gearing up to grab their grandpa's dirk and rush to the nearest reservist gathering point, they venture reading past the title line. And they sigh with relief.
Turns out, that was yet another clumsy attempt to remind the populace of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Perhaps some propagandists who hadn't played enough at military videogames, had decided such a title would nicely suit the day when Russia was supposed to remember the millions of victims of the monstrous bloodbath that was WW2.
But that's not all. In turn, the PR experts at the REN TV didn't shy away from informing the viewers that their channel would be taking part in the "Rise, You Great Country" campaign by trying to "awake patriotism in the Russians". And no one poised for a minute to ask the question if such campaigns don't actually tend to be the first step to most wars. Especially at a time of smouldering armed conflict on your borders.
Few have been paying any attention to the drastic advance of militarism in the Russian society, now actively flamed up by the authorities themselves. For example, there's a new theme park being opened near Moscow, funded by the Ministry of Defense - it's not just a theme park, it's a military-patriotic park called "Patriot", where kids will be able to climb into tanks and shoot with AK47s. In other words, they'll be taught of patriotism from early on.
No doubt, the park has been built according to the patriotic concepts and standards of the reservist officers who'll be teaching the kids of "military skills" at the facility. For anyone familiar with the Russian popular culture, it's a well-known fact that this sort of people cannot imagine patriotism without war. I'm sure they'd be glad to put gas masks on the pupils, and make them run around with AKs in hand. No doubt they'll make them shoot at things, if they could find them proper targets. Because you never know when you're gonna need a nation who can shoot with machine-guns, after all. There are threats to the Fatherland lurking behind every corner. Bad guys from abroad are constantly plotting to take over the Fatherland, so you better be prepared, kiddo. The next war is probably coming sooner than you might think.
In the meantime, the minister of defense Sergei Shoigu has announced that his ministry is going to restore all military training grounds for citizens across Russia. Yeah, those same training grounds that the Soviets used to have. He also thinks such theme parks like "Patriot" should be built all over Russia. Hey, the "Nashestvie" rock festival near Moscow (a wordplay: simultaneously meaning "Invasion" and "a march of the Ours party") is also marked by the "patriotic games" topic. Last year the famous rock star Andrey Makarevich closed the festival with a call for peace, granted, and this year his colleagues have sharply criticized the militarization of the otherwise peaceful rock event (and Makarevich has refused to go back and participate again) - but no problem! The tanks and AK47s will take the place of the missing musicians, don't worry about that.
I'm not sure if Putin and his minions realize the potential consequences of such active militarization of their society. Or maybe they do realize it pretty well, and it's exactly what they want. The pragmatic populists in Moscow believe this way they're scoring more points and earning even more popularity among the populace. Besides, they must be using the principle that it's much easier to rule over a people that marches in formation. Those pragmatists in the Kremlin must be convinced that they're in full control of this rising militarism, and they can scale it back at will, and restore the more peaceful state of mind of their people, if need be. But they're mistaken. Such a huge machine like Russia is twice as difficult to stop as it is heavy and clumsy to get going into the desired direction. Once it's on its way, there's no stopping. It's like trying to halt an avalanche, or an earthquake. This will come biting them on the ass very hard, and they still don't realize it.
Once they've convinced the population that war is inevitable, the Russian populists will sooner or later have to appease the public expectations, and give the Russians the war that they want. The "Great war". Because a big nation can't play small - it wants big. A big, great war, no matter when, where, and against whom - just give it to them. That's what they'll want, and the T-rex tamer will have to unleash the beast, lest he himself be torn to pieces. A war is what the Russian rulers have been grooming their people for, willingly or otherwise - and a war will be demanded. No matter the outcome, or the prospects for victory. The consequences be damned.
Turns out, that was yet another clumsy attempt to remind the populace of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Perhaps some propagandists who hadn't played enough at military videogames, had decided such a title would nicely suit the day when Russia was supposed to remember the millions of victims of the monstrous bloodbath that was WW2.
But that's not all. In turn, the PR experts at the REN TV didn't shy away from informing the viewers that their channel would be taking part in the "Rise, You Great Country" campaign by trying to "awake patriotism in the Russians". And no one poised for a minute to ask the question if such campaigns don't actually tend to be the first step to most wars. Especially at a time of smouldering armed conflict on your borders.
Few have been paying any attention to the drastic advance of militarism in the Russian society, now actively flamed up by the authorities themselves. For example, there's a new theme park being opened near Moscow, funded by the Ministry of Defense - it's not just a theme park, it's a military-patriotic park called "Patriot", where kids will be able to climb into tanks and shoot with AK47s. In other words, they'll be taught of patriotism from early on.
No doubt, the park has been built according to the patriotic concepts and standards of the reservist officers who'll be teaching the kids of "military skills" at the facility. For anyone familiar with the Russian popular culture, it's a well-known fact that this sort of people cannot imagine patriotism without war. I'm sure they'd be glad to put gas masks on the pupils, and make them run around with AKs in hand. No doubt they'll make them shoot at things, if they could find them proper targets. Because you never know when you're gonna need a nation who can shoot with machine-guns, after all. There are threats to the Fatherland lurking behind every corner. Bad guys from abroad are constantly plotting to take over the Fatherland, so you better be prepared, kiddo. The next war is probably coming sooner than you might think.
In the meantime, the minister of defense Sergei Shoigu has announced that his ministry is going to restore all military training grounds for citizens across Russia. Yeah, those same training grounds that the Soviets used to have. He also thinks such theme parks like "Patriot" should be built all over Russia. Hey, the "Nashestvie" rock festival near Moscow (a wordplay: simultaneously meaning "Invasion" and "a march of the Ours party") is also marked by the "patriotic games" topic. Last year the famous rock star Andrey Makarevich closed the festival with a call for peace, granted, and this year his colleagues have sharply criticized the militarization of the otherwise peaceful rock event (and Makarevich has refused to go back and participate again) - but no problem! The tanks and AK47s will take the place of the missing musicians, don't worry about that.
I'm not sure if Putin and his minions realize the potential consequences of such active militarization of their society. Or maybe they do realize it pretty well, and it's exactly what they want. The pragmatic populists in Moscow believe this way they're scoring more points and earning even more popularity among the populace. Besides, they must be using the principle that it's much easier to rule over a people that marches in formation. Those pragmatists in the Kremlin must be convinced that they're in full control of this rising militarism, and they can scale it back at will, and restore the more peaceful state of mind of their people, if need be. But they're mistaken. Such a huge machine like Russia is twice as difficult to stop as it is heavy and clumsy to get going into the desired direction. Once it's on its way, there's no stopping. It's like trying to halt an avalanche, or an earthquake. This will come biting them on the ass very hard, and they still don't realize it.
Once they've convinced the population that war is inevitable, the Russian populists will sooner or later have to appease the public expectations, and give the Russians the war that they want. The "Great war". Because a big nation can't play small - it wants big. A big, great war, no matter when, where, and against whom - just give it to them. That's what they'll want, and the T-rex tamer will have to unleash the beast, lest he himself be torn to pieces. A war is what the Russian rulers have been grooming their people for, willingly or otherwise - and a war will be demanded. No matter the outcome, or the prospects for victory. The consequences be damned.
(frozen) (no subject)
Date: 28/6/15 17:48 (UTC)(frozen) (no subject)
Date: 28/6/15 17:52 (UTC)I'm not in the mood for bullshit games of this sort.
See you on July 5.
(no subject)
Date: 28/6/15 18:02 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28/6/15 18:07 (UTC)[Error: unknown template video]
7+ million views since then. Jubilant and triumphant comments. Aggressive chest-thumping. People categorising the world in terms of "victory", "defeat", "honour" and "the enemy".
Things are not looking good over there.
(no subject)
Date: 28/6/15 18:12 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 29/6/15 00:29 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 29/6/15 06:00 (UTC)