To call the new wave of the anti-American hysteria in Russia, that I am encountering first hand on a daily basis, overwhelming is an understatement. It is a wide spread belief that what happened in South Osetia is America getting to Russia using ‘Georgian hands’. There is a tremendous hate for Georgians, who for so many years were like brothers to Russians, but it is separate from the bigger topic-America, the enemy. Many speak with enthusiasm (!) about the possibility of the new cold war and even, get this, a third world war. They also seem content with an idea of being in isolation from the rest of the world, with only few ‘friends’ left-Iran, Pakistan and, possibly, China. The government controlled channels are, naturally, propaganda tools, used to the full at the moment. The results are astonishing. We are told that ‘the country is now united’. Ironically ‘United Russia’ is the dominant Putin controlled party in the Parliament.
What I believed happened is Russian provoked Georgians, and this was in the making for a while. Georgians reacted very angrily and brutally, which, of course, was a mistake. And America went ‘shit, we really don’t have the money or any desire to get involved in this mess right now’.
Russians, however, will use this well. Some of it practical. Wars are very profitable in Russia for the selected few. And some if it is a massive ego boost, and ‘re-establishing its place’ in the region and the world.
1 comment:
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". Or many imbeciles' motivator, to put it more prosaically. I know, I know, there is nothing wrong with loving one's birthplace, but I think what goes on in good old Rushka these days is not far from 1933 Germany.
Hypertrophied (and in today's Russia's case, largely unsubstantiated) national pride is never a good thing, that's all I'm saying...
In all fairness, the same kind of misplaced patriotically charged anger got the US into Iraq in 2003. Well, like I said, it's never a good thing.
Post a Comment