Translated material
Propaganda of the epidemic: how the virus defeated the Kremlin agitators
It is obvious to anyone observing the rhetoric of the Russian authorities that the confrontation with external and internal ideological enemies and the annoying Ukraine bother it much more than the epidemic in Russia. Against the background of the growth of incidence and mortality, the epidemic is still used as an occasion for ideological invective against enemies of the regime, and not perceived as a real problem, the consequences of which will affect many years.
Even now, when, against the backdrop of a really frightening development of events, more and more severe restrictions are introduced, the president, and after him, propaganda continues to pretend that the situation is under control and is still not so bad, as somewhere there, in the fantasy West.
However, the situation with the epidemic is really not so good in the West, but there it remains the main concern of both the authorities and society, and no one is trying to pretend that the malicious virus has long been defeated, but that the epidemic does not end in any way, the “irresponsibility” of citizens is to blame. To blame the failure of vaccination to citizens is a dubious privilege of dictatorships, democratic power is doomed to take responsibility for everything - both for the good and the bad.
Doubts and hatred
A prolonged and still hopeless epidemic forces a new way to see a lot of what until recently seemed, if not an achievement, then for sure-the obvious success of the Russian authorities.
For years, a gigantic and expensive propaganda machine has been created, clearly conceived as universal - that is, capable of convincing anything, if not at all, then, at least, the notorious Putin majority. After 2014, even among the critics of the regime, the idea of its tremendous influence on the minds of Russians became popular: to take and literally turn Ukraine into the focus of world evil from an even place and ensure the moral support of aggression against it is really impressive.
But now you can confidently state: the agitation and propaganda apparatus of the Russian government can only sow doubts and hatred, as well as encourage social passivity. And the effect positive for the Russian authorities is achieved not so much by its effective exaltation, but due to the constant multi -level discredit of its opponents and critics, as well as by turning conspiracy and distrust to all in a row.
How can you not recall the first months of the epidemic, when the foundation was laid for the current state of affairs: on the one hand, everything was called into question - the very presence of the virus, and its seriousness, and that it can be dangerous for Russia and its citizens. On the other hand, the objective problems of the Western countries were not considered as a lesson or warning, and not even as an occasion to prepare Russian citizens to the fact that sooner or later the same measures can be introduced with us, but only as an excuse for endless mockery of the governments and basic values of European and American societies. Tough restrictive measures introduced in Europe and the United States were declared excessive, and the rivers of tears were spilled over the suffering of ordinary people, whom their governments are amazing in rights and allowing them to live calmly - not only in Russia, where the government does everything to deliver to citizens as few problems as possible.
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