Russia Not at War But It Nonetheless has Martial Law, Muscovites Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 16 – The Duma has amended laws governing voting procedures during periods of martial law, thus implicitly but officially acknowledging that the country is at war despite everything the Kremlin and its propagandists say, some residents of the Russian capital are now telling each other.

            This is just one of the latest anecdotes Russian journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova has assembled and posted online (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/45820/-). Among the best of the rest are the following:

·       It is silly to keep compiling lists of countries that are unfriendly to Russia. There is so much more that could be include like planets, stars and galaxies.

·       It is no accident that Russia restored Enemy of the People after it brought back hero of labor. Given Russian conditions, this took ten years, but that is no surprise either.

·       Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka promises to include in his will the details on exactly where the attack on his country was prepared.

·       Russian cosmonauts have run out of spacesuits but not of icons, and they should be using the latter ever more frequently as a result.

·       Many are talking about how many sacrifices Russians will make if things get worse. They should be talking about getting rid of the one person who has made these sacrifices necessary.

·       The Kremlin has shown that it can rewrite not just the Russian constitution but the Bible. After all, now that churches are having to declare to their congregants that “thou shalt kill,” it is no accident that dissidents are having to write “thou shalt not kill” as graffiti on the church walls.