In Russia there are no agents of the country, there are agents of power

Stupidity and disaster go hand in hand in Russia. The flooding in the Kuban and the discussion in the State Duma of the law on NGOs receiving money from abroad and engaged in mythical "political activities", which they decided to officially label as foreign agents, took place almost simultaneously. Disaster and stupidity.

“After us, even a flood” is the eternal credo of any representative of any of our authorities. Another flood happened during their time, not after.

In the reaction to the Kuban tragedy, perhaps the main problem of the gigantic territory, which we, by inertia, still call "Russia", came through. The same problem emerged in the Duma discussion with Putin's involvement around the law on NGOs: here everyone is a stranger to everyone. "Occupiers", "foreign agents", interference from the right and left. There are no agents of Russia in Russia: countries, not authorities.

“The warning that heavy precipitation is possible simultaneously with the consequences of the river (overflowing), official data, was received at 22.00. The peak load of water began at 01.00 and continued until 03.00. You know this better than me. What do you think, my dears, if today, even at 22.00 with a break until one in the morning, what - it was possible to get around everyone? This is impossible. What forces? This time. Secondly. And would you take off and leave the house? - such words that will go down in the history of relations between the Russian government and the people, said Krasnodar Governor Alexander Tkachev. "What happened to your people?" “They drowned.” Classics of the genre.

Tkachev said this at a conference call two days (!) After the flood.

The meaning was expressed very clearly: why warn the dark people about the flood, they still won’t believe it. So let them drown. We have a lot of people.

This can only be applied to enemies or strangers. To strangers who for some reason settled somewhere near the authorities. But the government itself looks like a foreign agent that has conquered a foreign country, even though it uses it like its own toothbrush: children and capital have been evacuated.

This is no longer even the eternal Russian alienation, an insurmountable distance between the authorities and the people. This is the initial refusal to recognize in the population the same people as the officials themselves. It turns out that people generally interfere with our state - and the apolitical masses, who then pay compensation after floods, earthquakes or terrorist attacks, and a small number of political opponents of the authorities.

At a time when Krymsk had not even come close to recovering from the consequences of the flood, the Duma, after taking a break for a day of mourning, continued to discuss the law on NGOs. Putin himself joined the process. He sent amendments to this bill, which became a separate bill. The president has introduced a law amending another that has not yet been finally adopted. But our deputies were not embarrassed by this circumstance: United Russia was not drawn for at least a simple majority in the State Duma, so that the parliament would get hung up on the delirium of what was happening.

Putin was forced to amend the provision, according to which the law on NGOs applied to religious organizations, state corporations and state companies, non-profit organizations created by them, as well as state and municipal institutions. Otherwise, as a result of an attack against the sedition of United Russia deputies (they all decided to become the authors of this scandalous law), even the Russian Orthodox Church, a natural “Kremlin agent”, and the propaganda state television channel Russia Today would turn out to be foreign agents. Even Putin did not understand what "political activity" is according to the deputies. Therefore, he asked not to consider science, culture, health care, protection of motherhood and childhood, social support for the disabled, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, protection of flora and fauna and charity as politics.

But the law will still be adopted, albeit postponed for a month.

Tkachev's reaction to the flood and the law on NGOs are components of the process of total foreignness in relation to Russia, into which the regime has plunged the population. And the protests and volunteering in the Kuban are components of the reverse process. Some people still consider the country their home, and other people living in it, neighbors. Whom it is customary to help if trouble comes.

The more Russian agents there are in Russia, the greater the chance that "this" country will someday become "ours."