Clarification of meaning

As a child, I heard the word "Jew" addressed to me many times. From the intonation it was obvious that this was something shameful. Then it turned out: nothing terrible, just nationality. It is useful to clarify the meaning of words.

In recent years, I have heard the word “marginal” hundreds of times (in my address and in the address of my political associates). I didn't know what it meant, but I was guided by the squeamish puckering of the lips on Gleb Pavlovsky's face and felt at the same time about the same thing as in the fifth grade, when they told me that I was a Jew. That is, I understood that I was insulted, but I did not understand why and, most importantly, what should I do about it, how to wash off the shameful stain? And so, when last Sunday at the National Assembly, for the fifth consecutive journalist asked me: do you realize that marginals have gathered here? - I decided to really be aware and, having come home, looked into the dictionary of foreign words. It turned out: not only nothing terrible, but even cute! Firstly, in the printing industry, “marginalia” are marks in the margins of a manuscript.

And in a broader sense, "marginal" means "located on the edge" (of the political field), or in an economic sense - "almost unprofitable."

Well, of course! Our weekly notes in the margins of the Kremlin's political manuscript - what are these, if not "marginalia"?

"Almost unprofitable"? Well, don't go to your grandmother. It would be profitable to cut down more zeros from the treasury for political research on the benefits brought to Russia by Vladimir Putin, which was done by political scientist Sergei Markov, now a member of United Russia. That's not marginal.

In general, there, in the political center, they have complete order with profitability, there are no marginals. Gryzlov with Mironov, Sechin with Surkov... There's no way to get to them, to the center. Previously, in the middle of this political field, Khasbulatov and Rutskoi, Korzhakov and Soskovets sat like an eagle... Just yesterday, Ivanov and Ivanov. And we, thank God, are always on the edge - there the smell is lighter, and the company is more pleasant.

Human rights activist Oleg Orlov was a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, but left after Putin's words following Politkovskaya's murder. Now Oleg Petrovich is a complete marginal. And our political elite has a happy opportunity to put a bag on his head and take him to execution for educational purposes, which was recently performed in Ingushetia by Mr. Zyazikov ...

Academician Sakharov was a marginal – a complete marginal, let us note, a voluntary one at that. Of the three times Heroes of Socialist Labor, he suddenly rushed into complete loss, into political isolation - and to such an edge that only the grave is farther. And who among us at that time was not a marginal? Comrade Suslov, Comrade Grishin, Comrade Romanov... The very center.

During the time of marginal Herzen, in this unprofitable political center, Mr. Grech lived and made good money from their Tretyakov cannons, Mr. Grech - and the generals, to the pleasant surprise of the British, who completely plundered the Russian army for the Crimean War.

Even earlier - Chaadaev; Well, this is a marginal finished! There was no Serbsky Institute for him, in those days the Minister of Education Uvarov was enough. According to the report of the political elite, the philosopher was declared insane.

And the degree of marginalization of the author of "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" can easily be measured in kilometers. The political extremes of Radishchev (he demanded freedom!) received an adequate geographical assessment, in the form of being sent to the ends of the world, to the Ilim prison. Aftar, drink yada... But let's get back to our days. The journalists are right - some outcasts have gathered at the National Assembly! Marginal Schmidt, marginal Illarionov, marginal Limonov, marginal Kasparov ... And so it is clear that there are no pure democratic gentlemen in this room who do not plan to suffer losses and, on the contrary, have plans to be closer to the political center.