Far from idiots

Interview with Dudia and Kucheri showed the worldview of the Putin's man. Why such people support the Kremlin, but want the end of the war, the sociologist Svetlana Stevenson explains

The man of the era of mature Putinism

In recent days, a mass discussion of the interview of the popular blogger Yuri Dudia with Oscar Kucher, a famous actor and author of a patriotic telegram channel has unfolded in Russian social networks. An interview, published under the title “Talk with the one who supports the Russian army”, gained 17 million views by the morning of January 22. In a long, almost three -hour video, the coachman then fiercely justified the actions of the regime, then he was temporarily lost under the pressure of Dudia’s logic, so that later and again he would return to justification of Russia's actions in Ukraine.

All the arguments of Dudia, who explained that the Russian state has committed military aggression, invading someone else's territory, that by supporting Putin, his interlocutor supports corruption, lies, lawlessness, the murder of Ukrainian and Russian citizens, broke out either a direct denial or often repeated maximum, there are many faces between black and white, the world is built up More complicated than you think.

Many of the opponents of the war, discussing this interview, agreed that the coachman is a dark, uneducated person, unable to see the logical inconsistencies of his position, “quilted jacket” or, as one of the commentators said, an object for studying anthropology or even entomology. Others emphasized that his example shows how Russian propaganda is effectively zombie, how easily its diverse and internally conflicting stamps are reproduced by them as their own opinions.

However, the coachman is far from an idiot and not a stupid victim of propaganda. He has a completely holistic worldview that he tried to convey to the interlocutor

With no less perseverance, what the Dud did in turn. Calling to abandon the assessments that here is black, but here is white, he said, literally: "Understand me, I think differently."

Indeed, it is very important to understand it, because his course of thoughts and logic is the worldview of a person of the era of mature Putinism. It is extremely important for us to understand this worldview thinking about the present and future of Russia.

Interview with Kucheri says a lot about people who are loyal to the authorities, the beneficiaries of the Putin regime, who will continue to influence the development of the country after this rule is over. This is the bourgeoisie that has arisen under the current regime and more or less prosperous inhabitants who finally healed well under Putin and hope that despite the current “geopolitical shocks”, a well -fed and calm life will return.

Five bases of the "Putin man"

What grounds does the worldview of the Putin man come from? What does these people understand the principles of the construction of society and their behavior in it?

First. The coachman, the true product of the Putin era, gives a clear priority to material and social success, prestigious consumption. The hero is by no means a taxi driver and not a man behind the garages, as commenting contemptuously spoke of him. He is a wealthy person and does not hide it. His children study in the famous 57th Moscow school , in which the opposition cultural elite has sought to give their children for many decades, straining all possible connections and acquaintances for this. Prestigious consumption includes rest in Italy or America, in places with good climate and restaurants, and the hero perceives the temporary suspension of this vacation in connection with the war - the world must be open.

Like many representatives of the Russian bourgeoisie, the coachman tried to make the child an American passport, his wife gave birth to the youngest son in Miami. “It would be foolish not to do this,” he says with complete frankness. The right to buy villas in Italy or in Spain is an integral right of any person, whether it be a cultural figure or a state propagandist, because rest in a beautiful place is holy.

The political position, declared anti -Americanism, can not be connected with the right to use freedom of movement and rest in “right” places.

A successful person and his children should always be good, and of course, the possible call of his sons to the war, about whom the Dud was not fed into this picture of the world - this, as he was talking, would be a "complete trash." He himself wants the end of the war to return to the comfort zone.

Second. The world is arranged in such a way that in it everyone strives for material benefit, but people do not act one in a single way. They support their own, acting in accordance with concepts, and not with the law or even pragmatic expediency. Answering Dudia’s question about how he relates to the fact that Putin created opportunities for the fabulous enrichment of his old friends who have become influential businessmen, our hero sincerely replies that he does not see that it is bad here. You are me, I - you. Yes, and you, Yura, say the coachman, because I would not refuse if I, for example, suggested that you head the telecorporation? Capitalism for his own, built by Putin, the indifference of power and property - all this is perceived as the natural order of things, and the “Putin man” really does not understand how to live differently.

Third. The world rules force. The law is an empty word. The annexation of Crimea, the invasion of foreign territory is not perceived as an unacceptable violation of international law. The Russian Constitution can also be rewritten for current needs if you wish. Any obligations adopted can be violated, and about the previous promises given by the authorities both in relation to Ukraine, the territorial integrity of which Putin recognized repeatedly and the Russian population ( not to change the constitution , not to carry out pension reform ) can be forgotten, because everything is changing in the world.

Fourth. With a clear rejection of universal law and faith, that those who are more successful and stronger win in the world, the “Putin man” is convinced of their special spirituality. He is on the protection of traditional values, purity of thoughts, abandoning everything that is destructive for family and morality. He despises the internal enemies, denigractors, those who refuse to appear in the army on a call, “non -warrior people” and representatives of the rotten West. He complains about how television plays on the base feelings of the layman.

And although the coachman himself led the current show “The Stars converged”, in which the dirty laundry of Russian stars washed under the light of television searchlights, he claims that he did it only for the sake of money, because no one forbidden to love the money. At the same time, he, of course, experiencing an internal protest, and showing his face during the air showed how unpleasant he had questions that he had to ask.

And finally, the fifth. Putin's man believes that he should always support power. If a simple person does not understand what the authorities are doing, it does not matter, there are reasons not always communicated by the population. Mobilized must go to the front without asking why they are fighting. The boys, of course, are sorry, and they need to help, but they cannot question the goal of war or the inevitability of victory. You do not need to look for a “negative” in relation to representatives of the authorities, to investigate their personal enrichment and corruption, all this does not exist, and if it exists, we digging in nothing.

Putin's spiritual heirs

Dud, who could not convince the coachman, did a great job, showing us a portrait of a man formed by a long Putin rule. This is a person inconsistent in some ways, in some ways crafty, but there is no doubt that he has his own picture of the world.

This picture reflects in its main features the features of the social system, which has developed in Russia under Putin. Both he and millions of other Russians have adapted to life in this system and reproduce it themselves. Here, people do not live by law, but by concepts, the force is equal to the right, the cartridge-client relations replace the logic of the market, and authoritarianism is the only possible and understandable form of government. Cynicism and selfishness here are adjacent to a sense of moral superiority in relation to soulless America, to internal minorities and renegads.

Such a picture of the world will still determine the consciousness of people for a long time, whoever came to power in Russia after the departure of the current president. It is difficult to expect that the values ​​of freedom, democracy, legality and rights will receive, after many years of Putin's tactics of scorched land, significant support among millions of spiritual heirs of Putin.

But there is good news. These people sincerely want peace, comfort, money. They are not ready for victims for the benefit of their homeland, although they declare their unconditional loyalty to the state.

They want to end the war and establish relations with the West. And this is the hope that after Putin’s departure in Russia, a slow, difficult, but normalization will still come.

The Putin’s man does not have a request for a living in North Korea or Iran, he is far from a fucked fanatic or ascetic. He is worried about the future of his children. And in this you can see the optimistic result of the interview of Dudia.