Putin has Finally Proclaimed a New National Ideology – ‘Russia Against Everyone! Else’ Some Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 27 – Many Russians have expressed concern that their country doesn’t have a national ideology; but they simply haven’t been paying attention. Putin has proclaimed one, and it is simple and clear, Russians say. Indeed, the new national ideology can be reduced to three words: “Russia against Everyone Else!”

            That is just one of the anecdotes now circulating in Russia that say more about what Russians think than many public opinion polls. It is in the latest collection of such stories assembled by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/45911/). Among the best of the reset are the following:

·       The Moscow Patriarchate wants Russian schools to introduce courses on Old Church Slavonic in place of languages like English from unfriendly countries. That is a good first step. It should soon be followed by eliminating more than three years of schooling that will allow graduates to handle a Kalashnikov.

·       Russian television says that “it is better to be left without legs than without Putin! And he is at the front next to each of our warriors.”

·       The Swiss don’t understand anything: They’ve come up with a way for a paralyzed man to walk because they don’t recognize that the real purpose of life is to lose limbs or rot in a trench so that their national leader, who hides in a bunker, can have 26 residences, six yachts and several mistresses.

·       Moscow’s nuclear research center has ordered 2.3 billion rubles (30 million US dollars) of religious books and icons. One can only pray for those who work there.

·       Beijing received the Russian prime minister in exactly the same way the Golden Horde leaders received its vassals a millennium ago.

·       Putin has been given the international Bunker Prize for having remained in one longer than any other chief of state.

·       Russian televisions should come with a warming just like cigarettes do: “Watching leads to degradation and dementia.”

·       Bakhmut stood for 500 years and now has been destroyed by a gang of criminals, rabble and thus released from prison who now take great pride in what they have done.