Mikhail Khazin: On the role and place of Putin
I don’t think I’ll reveal a big secret if I say that the propaganda attacks on Putin in the Western media are constantly increasing. The last topic is direct participation (not to say, the role of the main organizer) in the process of “brexit” (that is, British withdrawal from the European Union). In this case, we are not talking about evidence at all. But if the stars are lit, as the great Russian poet says, it means that someone needs it. And here is the question: why? In the end, there is the old rule: “there is no“ good ”PR or“ bad ”PR. He is either there or there is none. ” That is, in fact, thanks to such propaganda, Putin, although they are trying to demonize him, is still becoming an increasingly significant figure in the Western world. And why should they?
The answer to this question is, in general, more or less clear. I already wrote that the political plane is described by two main axes - left-right and liberal-conservative. And the last 35 years the world has developed under constant pressure and victories of right-liberal ideas. Actually, all famous stories with the development of homosexuality and other sexual perversions, the destruction of the family and other joys - this is just the implementation of liberal ideas. With the domination of bankers and a sharp increase in the stratification of people by income, of course.
But it has been several years since the pendulum has swung to the other side. This is most pronounced in the United States, where politics is most public. And we see how, on the one hand, the right-liberal ideology has swung to the left and left-wing liberal Sanders appeared (who would have defeated Clinton and Trump, if only the apparatus of the US Democratic Party was not controlled by the Clinton team by means of overt falsifications; By the way, they accused Putin again). On the other hand, the right-liberal ideology has swung to the conservative side and the right-wing conservative Trump has appeared, about which everyone already knows everything.
But if we move on (which is inevitable in the conditions of the crisis), then we find ourselves in the left-conservative sector. And if you recall history, the only stable left-conservative state in history is the Stalinist USSR. Then the movement towards liberalism began, with all the known results. And a sharp increase in interest (and positive attitude) towards Russia in the world among ordinary people is the result of what Russia is perceived as a phantom image of the USSR. It's clear that the right-wing liberal elite of the West does not like it very much.
But there is one more important circumstance. This is the role of the leader of the left-conservative USSR. This is the position of Stalin. In our country, his figure was wildly demonized (even during the late USSR and in the post-Soviet period), which, however, during the crisis led to the fact that his image (not historical, of course, but the same phantom) is supported by 80% of the population. But this is ours, since Stalin, after all, is a figure of our history and in each family either still exists, or quite recently there were people who had or have their own opinion about it, based on personal observations. And in the world, all the historical tales (mostly, contrasted by Stalin’s image as part of the campaign) are not very interesting, they are not very interested in their own history. But the phantom image of the USSR inevitably restores the closely related phantom image of Stalin.
Which, against the background of complete idleness of the right-liberal political elite (ordinary citizens do not see the real elite) looks more and more pretty. Not to say - the only way out of the situation. A man who acted in the interests of his people and at the same time won! What could be more relevant today? Given that the current leaders defiantly refuse to take any action, let alone think about the people. The trick is that the phantom image should somehow be visualized. The USSR is visualized in the image of modern Russia. And Stalin? And Stalin, of course, in the image of Putin.
It should be noted that Putin’s image in the West is strikingly different from his image in Russia, where he is also constantly complained that he refuses to act in part of removing the right-liberal elite group from power, which is destroying the Russian economy and leading people to impoverishment . That is, behaves opposite to the method of Stalin. But in the West, such details are unknown, including due to liberal propaganda. As a result, in the eyes of the western population, the phantom image of Stalin more and more “sticks together” with the image of real Putin.
Which, of course, causes the rabid hatred of the right-liberal elites. And because it causes hereditary horror that covered these elites in the mid-twentieth century (until the end of the 70-s) when they almost lost (in reality they lost, only the post-Stalinist elites of the USSR refused to draw this prize). And because they are wildly afraid that the old logic of Stalin may cause from non-existence those political forces in their own countries, which they, already after 1991, have considered disappeared. And, finally, because they themselves do not see a way out of the situation and understand that the situation will only get worse. And, accordingly, because the campaign to demonize Putin will only increase.
It’s another thing that Putin himself does not use this entire opportunity to improve his personal rating and the rating of Russia. Until? May be. But you need to be aware that if you don’t support the “gluing” described above for a long time, then another phantom image of Stalin may appear. And then it will be not only much more difficult to defend oneself against the charges already made, but it is hardly possible at all. Because you can get the image of a loser, and nobody defends a loser.
There are some grounds for believing that Putin may use the election campaign that has begun to change his policy. We'll see. But it seems to me that these considerations should play an important role in determining the new, post-election policy of Putin. Since the story rushed at a gallop and there was no time for waiting and maneuvers.
Information