Why don't we rejoice

This idea is wonderful because nothing is required from a particular person except delight. You need to be proud not of the fruits of your labor, not of real achievements, but of the very fact of your existence, your origin, which automatically makes you special. And the ancestral lands are needed not for anything, but simply “to exist.”

Since we consolidate our uniqueness at the level of the national idea, it is not surprising that the whole world is against us. After all, people always envy special people and plot against them. They unite because we are strong, and they are weak and they cannot cope with us alone. And we can’t cope with everything together either.

The system that will arise as a result of such a policy can be called developed idiocy. Looking around, we can seem to conclude that the idea is taking root among the masses. The popularity of both the leader himself and the unity he declared on the occasion of Russian origin and the gathering of lands is great and growing by leaps and bounds.

But did you notice one curious feature? Let us assume by default that we have a majority in favor of the annexation of Crimea. And there is a minority against it. But Ervandych’s nest chicks were still brought and rounded up to the Kurginyanov meeting according to instructions. And to the concert in honor of the unification too. And flags for hanging on balconies were distributed through housing offices. And we did not observe any spontaneous manifestations of delight. While at the “Peace March” there were, on the one hand, much more people than at Kurginyan’s, and on the other hand, they clearly did not come there at the command of the municipality and not for money. Although they hold a minority point of view. What a strange paradox? Where is the rejoicing?

And it’s not that we ourselves are callous, that it’s not typical for us to organize a carnival. Remember the events of 2008, when they beat first the Swedes and then the Dutch in football. There were millions on the streets of all cities! They went out themselves, walked from the heart, didn’t break anything, were happy and sincere! Is winning some kind of football really more important than the national idea?

Without claiming to be an engineer of human souls, I will try to explain this as I understand it. Rejoicing is a spontaneous impulse. The feeling that what you dreamed about happened. Or maybe they were even afraid to dream. If we are talking about victory, then understanding the improbability of what is accomplished. The feeling that, despite powerful obstacles, a great deed has been accomplished, that victory has been suffered, that there is some kind of higher justice behind it.

No matter how funny it may seem, all this applies to a football victory to a much greater extent than to reunification with Crimea. We did not fight for Crimea. And they recaptured it not from real enemies, but from a neighboring country, which is now being branded for conniving with some incomprehensible “Banderaites.” There is psychosis on TV, but you can’t really believe in the horrors. Well, who is afraid of Ukraine? The average person's attitude towards her is rather dismissive. And Crimea... well, they returned to him what already belonged - it was simply listed as crests due to a misunderstanding.

But the main thing, I think, is that chauvinism is not so important in the value system of the average Russian. Of course, this delusion of grandeur has settled into us, going back not even to Soviet times, but from much earlier times. Of course, we consider ourselves a great country, without even bothering to ask ourselves what this greatness actually consists of. Numbers, facts, other data?

Much closer to the average person, however, is his own pocket. His stomach. So, in the meantime, why not approve of Putin's policies? Are you for the annexation of Crimea? Of course, why not join. And you can even agree to endure the hardships and hardships of international isolation. After all, there are no adversities yet. And it's easy to promise to be a hero.

However, when the philistine’s belly begins to suffer, their wallets become thinner, and Soviet times return not in the form of stupid slogans, but as already forgotten queues and empty shelves, then unanimity will diminish. And I’m not talking about Western sanctions at all. And about the fact that this man’s policies will inevitably lead us to difficult times. On its own - even without the West and sanctions.

I would venture to suggest that there is no special love for Putin either. People pay tribute to his toughness, strong arm and the like. Especially when, in general, nothing is required from them themselves. But this is not the feeling when people, despite everything, follow a person on their own, without coercion. And this feeling will persist as long as Putin can ensure relative satiety and well-being.

But people won’t go for abstract ideas. We can see this very well now. And the authorities see this, since they plan in advance to take people to rallies and distribute flags and jackets. They understand that they are selling a surrogate! However, they hope to captivate the masses, expecting that subsequently the masses will follow them themselves.

I don’t know how it will be - we’ll see. The starting conditions are weak.