Russians under Putin have Followed the Same Five Steps Germans under Hitler Did but Still Think They can Avoid the Sixth, Some Muscovites Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Mar. 26 – Under Hitler, some Muscovites say, Germans in 1932 said they weren’t interested in politics, then from 1933 to 1935 declared life had improved for them, and then in 1936-1938 proclaimed that Germany had risen from its knees and that Austria and the Sudetenland were always ours.

            Next, these Germans in 1939-1941 said everyone wants to attack us but we will be in Moscow in three months, said in 1942-1945 that war is a hard time and that only traitors criticize the leader because he knows what he is doing. But finally, in 1946, everything came crashing down, Germans said, adding they didn’t know because they weren’t interested in politics.

            According to these same Muscovites, under Putin, Russians have followed exactly the same path as far as steps one through five are concerned but somehow believe that they won’t have to suffer the last one, clearly because such people aren’t interested in either history or politics

            This is only one of the anecdotes offered by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova in her latest collection (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/48102/-). Among the best of the rest are the following:

·       The organizer of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall is known to the extent of 87.3 percent, the same share of the population Putin received in the recent “elections.”

·       Moscow’s insistence that journalists add a footnote every time they referred to ISIS did nothing to stop the terrorist attack.

·       Russia Today’s Margarita Simonyan and others aren’t motivated by bad ideas; they are only driven by the size of the paychecks they get.

·       After meeting Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis felt the need to cross himself.

·       The restoration of the death penalty is guaranteed. It is simply a bonus for those who voted to change the constitution the way Putin wanted.

·       The Tajiks arrested for attacking the Crocus City Hall spoke some non-Ukrainian language but after they were worked over, their Ukrainian style embroidered shirts showed through.

·       Russians should be afraid that millions of Tajiks will remember that Russians have ears too.

·       A Russian conversation: “I always listen to the opinions of others if they agree with me.” “But if they don’t?” “I’m not an idiot and don’t listen to such people.” “Yes, you are like Putin.” “No, I am Putin.”