Ukrainians Should Stop Whining, Russians Say; Putin’s been Bombing Voronezh for 20 Years Not Just Three Months

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 25 – Russians continue to use anecdotes as a way of expressing how they feel about Putin’s war in Ukraine. The latest one goes as follows: Ukrainians should stop complaining about bombing. After all, Putin has bombed them for only three months while he has been bombing the Russian city of Voronezh for 20 years.

            That is just one of the anecdotes Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova has assembled this week (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/43007/-). Among the others, the following are especially suggestive of how Russians really feel about the life around them:

·       The Russian government has demonstrated its concern for the population since the start of the war in Ukraine. It has increased social spending right along with defense spending, although so far this has been true only in the case of funeral services.

 ·       Our grandfathers said that succeeding generations should live better than they did, but now Russian tell their children that we’ve put up with horrors, and you must be patient because there is nothing to be done.

 ·       The term schizo-fascism was invented specifically for Him as it refers to anyone who accuses others of fascism when he is the real fascist.

 ·       Moscow TV reports frequently about the country’s fabulous super weapons, but while it does so, it also features advertisements calling on people to contribute to save the lives of children.

 ·       Groundhog Day has arrived in Russia. Patrushev in the role of Andropov is looking over the shoulder of the decrepit new Brezhnev, Putin. Somewhere around is a new gerontocrat like Chernenko, a new Gorbachev is maturing within the Politburo, a new Yeltsin is in he reigons, and within the FSB, yet another Putin is taking his first steps.

 ·       The Kremlin promised that it would return the country to Soviet times, and one must concede that it has: Already, the powers have returned poverty, shortages, isolation, repression, propaganda, hopelessness, unchanging power, and even the Moskvich. There is more to do but the rulers will do that do.

 ·       Like two boa constrictors, Russia is slowly strangling Ukraine and the rest of the world is slowly strangling Russia. Who will last longest is something only God knows.

 ·       If Patrushev replaces Putin, one thing is certain. Russian television will start saying “if not Patrushev, who?” and “No Patrushev No Russia,” and the people will know that Patrushev succeeded because he is “safe, weak, timid and even more stupid” than Putin.

 ·       In Russian plans, the most serious difficulties always remain ahead.