Most Muscovites go about their daily lives. But behind the public displays of patriotism and demonstrative apathy, another feeling is getting stronger: disgust. Moscow resembles a room in which there's a corpse. And everybody is trying not to notice it.The corpse, of course, is the war with Ukraine. Despite a recent ‐ but shaky ‐ ceasefire agreement, it's lying there, and the people aren't looking or talking about it. They tell each other jokes, comfort each other and say that everything will be fine. One person philosophizes, another beats his chest patriotically. And the corpse smells horrible. But just don't look, and maybe it will disappear on its own.
In Russia, lying has become a traditional value without which the state cannot exist. Television constructed a parallel world in which fascists came to power in Ukraine, a Russian child was crucified by the Ukrainian army and Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Ukrainian fighter jet.
All of which are false. And there are apparently plenty who slurp up the bigotry and lies readily, intellectually poisoning themselves.
For many, one great irony is that this parallel world is more fascinating than the real one. They're not used to dealing with reality and don't find the language to talk about the things behind the propaganda. Putin, TV presenters and people on the street speak in the same phrases that have become the building blocks of their worldview: "We will prevail." "Russians don't surrender." "Fascism won't pass."
Interesting piece on the cognitive dissonance that is starting to build in Russia, between the reality, and Putin's fascistic propaganda machine, and the oligarchs who are backing him. n.b. emphasis added.