Translated material
Echoes of legitimacy
For a number of reasons I left the Echo website. But now I consider it necessary to return - at least once.
Firstly, of course, to the best of our ability, morally support “Echo” and his personal incarnation, Venediktov.
Secondly, to say that, in my opinion, there is no reason to be afraid after all.
Venediktov will UNCONDITIONALLY not be removed from his post as editor-in-chief. He was born on "Echo", lives on it and will continue to do so... The editorial policy of "Echo" will UNCONDITIONALLY not change one micron.
Why? The same reason why a woman in the last month of pregnancy does not get into fights on the street.
This is precisely why Putin will not close 3 or 2 weeks before his election (it is clear that in fact it would be about closing) Echo. The reverberations from closing the Echo would be LOUD. And, perhaps, it would knock the authorities off their feet...
The question of life and death—psychologically speaking—is the same for Putin today. LEGITIMACY of elections. It is clear that all efforts are being devoted to “Victory - I”. This is the First!
Winning the first round is not a trick. The trick is: a) to do this while accurately counting the votes, and b) to do this without breaking the rules of the game. If “Echo” starts to lie, this would mean a change in the rules of the game, it would mean the destruction of its legitimacy WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. In the eyes of the West, Echo is well known there. In the eyes of all of Russia - not only Moscow, not only the “dissenters”.
Putin needs a Victory that has a clear echo. Not a dull, indistinct noise.
So, to smooth out your entire campaign, to ensure that everyone is talking not about Putin’s “victory”, but about the defeat of “Echo” - IS THIS the echo of March 4 that Putin needs? Is he a suicide?
“But there will be massive stuffing, and they’re afraid that Echo will talk about them, so they’re rushing to cover it up.” Kindergarten... Firstly, apparently, there will be no mass stuffing (God, how my faithful readers will shake! Shake, don’t shake, but sociology says exactly this - stuffing is simply not needed to get 50% +1 vote. ) Secondly, if the stuffing does happen, then the echo from them would increase a THOUSAND-fold - if “Echo” becomes silent and stutters. Well, will the Internet, Western TV, Svoboda, Kommersant FM and everyone else also fall silent? No, it’s just that the “hoarse Echo” will be the PROOF of these very real or imagined “stuffing”. No one will ask for any other evidence.
Therefore, touching Echo before the elections is not just “more expensive for yourself.” It’s much cooler to jump out of the window of the “echo” toilet on the 14th floor, so to speak, soar over the New Arbat...
The exact move for Putin today would be to GIVE AN INTERVIEW to Echo. V.V., give an interview to A.A.! It's a shame that this won't happen.
Well, what about after the victory? Why beat the echo with your fists after a fight?
Putinists talk about the "orange revolution". Complete nonsense - flash mobs, car rallies, sports walking and other cute vegetarian entertainment are as similar to the “orange revolution” as Ksenia Sobchak is to Yulia Tymoshenko...
But let's say for a moment - the "orange revolution". What kind of thing is this? This is a revolution - BLOODLESS. Peaceful. Within the limits of the law. A unique case is a revolution that does not BREAK the law, but FULFILL the law. Such a Revolution is possible only and only on St. George’s Election Day.
And only and only for one reason (under one pretext) - for those very “fair elections”, without stuffing, falsification, etc. If the elections are held and recognized as LEGITIMATE - ALL. The talk about the “orange revolution” is over - until the next elections.
A LEGITIMATE head of state has been elected. Whether someone likes him or hates him is your personal details... And any attempt to throw him off is no longer an “orange” one, but a completely different one - a red, brown, black - revolution. Classic revolution of the “pre-election” era. A classic anti-monarchist and usually very bloody revolution.
Even if an “orange revolution” is impossible in our country, what can we talk about a REAL revolution!
No, Putin is reasoning correctly: if the final takes place accurately, peacefully, and legitimately on March 4, then he has nothing to worry about about the “revolution.” And certainly, it would not be “Echo” that would call Rus' to the ax and pogrom. And there are no other CLASSIC revolutions.
Moral: either this way or that, even before the elections, even after them - but “Echo” has nothing to fear. There are no other worries... For which I congratulate all his listeners.