Putin May Trigger a Revolution Because of His Inability to Speak the Truth, Gatov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Feb. 28 – Despite the hopes of some in the emigration, there are many reasons to think that there is no immediate prospect for a revolution in Russia, Vasily Gatov says. The regime not only has enormous coercive resources and propaganda keeps the population in check but elites do not yet think they would not risk losing everything by challenging him.

            But the Russian scholar, who now is at the University of Southern California in the West, has one shortcoming that could in the end trigger a revolution: he and those around them “don’t know how to be sincere and tell the truth, especially the bitter truth.” And the time may come when he and they will have to or risk losing everything.

            That could come as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, Gatov continues. But “Putin will not  be able to do this and will lie to the country and to his associates.” That represents “the weakest point of his personalist regime” (reforum.io/blog/2023/02/28/chto-meshaet-sleduyushhej-russkoj-revolyuczii-i-chto-sposobno-eyo-sprovoczirovat/).

            When the Russian people and Russian elites need to be told the bitter truth about what is happening because they can see so many signs of that despite propaganda, Putin is the last person who can offer them the truth. He has lied for so long that he will continue to do so – and that may prove his undoing and the undoing of his regime.