Among our readers there is a small number of people who, understanding the full vileness of the present Russian regime, are ready to support its foreign policy adventures from «patriotic» positions. «They are even worse,» they say of the West, thinking that «these» countries stand in the way of Russia’s plundering and establishment of colonial rule. If this were the case, and the Russian authorities wanted to stop the outflow of capital to the West, they would only be pleased with the statement of the British authorities about their readiness to confiscate the assets of Russian oligarchs in the event of a war in Ukraine. «Welcome to the motherland! Don’t invest any more money in hostile countries,» would be their reaction to these statements.
But we see exactly the opposite. For example, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today called these statements by the British authorities alarming and promised that if such actions were taken against Russian businessmen, the Kremlin would take reciprocal measures.
That’s all you need to know about their «patriotism». And should we be surprised that Peskov’s family lives in France — a NATO member state to which the Kremlin issues idiotic and unattainable ultimatums? And how could it be otherwise, when the lion’s share of Russian capital in London belongs not to real businessmen, but to families of Russian officials and oligarchs connected with the government? Therefore, it was probably assumed that ordinary Russian and Ukrainian people would be shedding blood in the trenches, while relatives and acquaintances of the rulers would be enjoying the delights of the «decaying West». And then they’re told it won’t work that way — isn’t that a worrying signal?
Meanwhile, worried about the safety of their families and assets in the West, the regime continues to selectively revive Stalinist practices at home. Just recently, Vladimir Putin backed Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko’s proposal to send 180,000 people to forced labor.
«As of today, we have created 15,000 places, and by the end of 2024 we want to create about 100,000 places. The total plan is to send 180,000 people,» Chuychenko suggested, to which Putin replied, «Let’s do it.»
If in two years they propose to make a leap from 15,000 forced laborers to 180,000, which is more than ten times, then in Putin’s next five-year plan, by the logic of things, they can force more than a million people to work laboriously. You could say that this is a fantasy? But with all that is happening now, would anything from five years ago not seem like fantasy to you? Or ten? Or fifteen?
In terms of repression and belligerence, Putin’s Russia is rapidly moving down the Stalinist road. But that’s all. Communist politicians under Stalin, despite all the inhumanity and satanism in their policies, did not keep their families and assets in the West when they subjected the people to repression and pushed them into war. This is simply a degenerate form of cynicism and schizophrenia, not patriotism.