Why society is ready to respond to the authorities' calls for “mobilization”
The West's new attempt to change Russia's political regime violently on the eve of the Duma elections was predicted during its lecture at the Federal University Far East, the affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov. Or maybe a member of the elected top five of the ruling party in our country did it? Sergey Viktorovich has recently been one of two people.
Photo: Gennady Cherkasov
And this is not just a reflection of the fact that he is one of the most popular politicians in the state. Seven years ago, the Russian government gained strong company trust thanks to the so-called Crimean factor. In 2021, the same story was repeated in a new version: the open alliance of the most radical part of Russia's opposition with the West allowed the Kremlin (in the broadest sense) to dramatically increase control over the country's domestic political situation.
“Our Western colleagues make no secret of the fact that many of them would rather deal with weak Russia without instructions.” Russia, ready for any concessions. We see attempts – almost every day – to influence our domestic and foreign policy “- it seems, what political contribution can the Russian authorities derive from this confrontational approach of the” collective West “described by Sergei Lavrov?
As it turned out, very significant. The year 2021 was a period of unprecedented settlement of the settlement of the Russian political opposition. Before the election, only those players who openly demonstrate their negative attitude towards Navalny – characters like Yavlinsky, who publicly rejected the votes of the “big exhibitor” supporters, or Zyuganov, who declared him a Western puppet, remained in this clearing. All less “politically aware” or less negotiated opposition figures have been removed from the Russian political chessboard. Someone suddenly had an aunt who had committed some fraud in the past. Someone was unable to vote due to contacts with extremist organizations.
And all this happened against the background of complete indifference of the company – or at least the complete absence of significant protest on its part.
How can this be explained? Maybe the fact that the authorities did not start playing with Navalny, who returned to the country, as gifts, but responded to his harsh frontal political attack with an even tougher frontal counterattack? This factor should never be reduced. Russia's population – by the way, probably the population of any other country in the world – loves winners and does not respect losers.
However, this raises a new question: why are winners winners and losers losers? In my opinion, the answer should be sought in the basic principles of Vladimir Putin's favorite sport – judo: “There is no need to defend one's force, it should be directed in the right direction for oneself. An enemy attack should not be intimidating. The opponent's attack should be used to win. During an attack, the enemy may lose balance. At this point, it's easiest to drop him on the ground. “
How exactly did the Russian authorities apply the principles of judo for political purposes in 2021? During his lecture in the Far East, Sergei Lavrov addressed the audience with this passionate appeal: “Now that they really want to force us to make some concessions, abandon our principles and, as the West says, change our behavior to be, let us behave as we taught at school, it is very important for us to mobilize all the resources of society, all state structures, including diplomacy and the activities of our deputies. “Pay attention to this word -” mobilization. ” It is absolutely crucial.
Society is ready to respond to the authorities' calls to “mobilize” only when they see a real threat, a real “enemy image.” This “image of the enemy” is now available – it is carefully created by the “enemy” himself. If Navalnyy dies in prison, then the “consequences for Russia will be devastating” – if Biden makes such statements, he will not frighten Putin in any way, but he will provide significant political support to the Russian government.
The “deep people” that the Kremlin follows (where liberal intelligence has long given up) draw a clear conclusion: if it is their own, it means that it is foreign to us. When Boris Johnson sends a British warship to Russian territorial waters in the Crimea, Putina is by no means frightened, he only provides the Russian authorities with significant political ammunition for the campaign.
Take, for example, how Minister and Deputy Candidate Sergei Lavrov skillfully used this episode in his lecture: “I read the comments with great astonishment when a British warship invaded our territorial waters. Some liberal critics of the authorities began to say: why did they have to expel him, but he would pass Crimea and what would happen? And so the relationship is at the bottom and you will bury it even deeper. This means swallowing a direct insult, spitting on the will of the Crimeans, who first chose independence and then reunion with their historical homeland. “
In my articles, I have repeatedly mentioned the unofficial slogan of the winning Bill Clinton. The 1992 presidential campaign:” This is economics, stupid! ” But thanks to the “courtesy” of the collective West and its political partners in the Russian opposition camp, the emphasis shifted to the themes of patriotism, the need to protect the country's territorial integrity and traditional values (see Sergei Lavrov's earlier statement: convincing Jesus Christ to be bisexual “).
In short, without wanting to do so, the West has now been very helpful to the Kremlin and Putin. But Sergei Lavrov did not say it wisely. He is a diplomat who knows exactly what is worth talking about in public and what is better not.