Paul Goble
Staunton, June 26 – The Kremlin will be far less offended if the West refers to Russia as “a philanthropist of terrorism” rather than as “a sponsor of terrorism,” Russians say. The former is far more dignified and will make those in power feel better than if Western countries use the latter as they are considering doing.
That is just one of the latest Russian anecdotes assembled by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/43286/-). Among the best of the rest which reflect how Russians really feel about the situation they find themselves in are the following:
· High oil prices allowed Alaska to pay each of its residents more than 30,000 US dollars over the last two decades, while they allowed Russia to boost the number of its billionaires to 82 even though incomes of average Russians stagnated. Nonetheless, Russians are pleased, praise Putin as the author of this and consider Alaskas primitive savages who have been drowned in dollars.
· For security reasons, Putin can’t go to the Ukrainian front. But at least, he could appear at a grain elevator where Russia is holding grain taken from Ukrainian fields. After all, that too would send a signal: Russians can steal whenever and whatever they want.
· In Putin’s Great Empire, pensioners get 16,000 rubles (220 US dollars) a month; doctors, 30,000 (400 US dollars); but Duma deputies get 420,000 (7,000 US dollars) – and the wealthiest far more than that.
· There is a compelling need to create a Union of Foreign Agents of Russia, given that anyone can become one and standards need to be maintained.
· When Syria decided to recognize the DNR and LNR, it did so via an anonymous source in its foreign ministry. Apparently, even the Syrians were ashamed of what they were doing. This offers Russians a chance to introduce a new term for their own use, “Syrian shame.”
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