Mihail Pojarsky/Two years later, we can say

Two years later, it can be stated that everything that is happening has become a complete win-win scenario for the Russian regime. Let there not be a lightning-fast “special operation” that ended with the capture of Kyiv in three days. Well, so what? When viewed from the heights of the Kremlin tower, it probably seems that everything is generally going well. The terrible Western sanctions, which threatened to plunge the country into hell in three months, turned out to be the same “take in three days,” only from the other side. Shadow tankers ply the expanses of the shadow ocean. The ruble is holding. Ears of corn are growing. Parallel imports are parallelized. Reputable economists from YouTube are postponing and postponing our inevitable collapse for the eighth time in three months.

Yes, there was a price to pay. But what in return? In return, the government seems stronger than ever. The West, with its carpet sanctions, has achieved what the Kremlin could not achieve for many years - the nationalization of the elites. Everyone who has successfully double-dealed over the past couple of decades has been faced with a choice - this way or that way. And many chose “here”, transferring the remnants of their former beautiful life to brotherly Dubai. The liberal threat from the left has been destroyed and trampled. A couple of million potential protesters packed up their belongings and went away themselves. The patriotic threat on the right has been destroyed and trampled. Her last hope faded away along with the burning wreckage of the plane in the middle of the Tver fields. Disorganized Russian society grabbed everything up to the point of mobilization. And those who didn’t steal were only able to hiss about hatred from abroad. Well, very scary.

Relations with the West have been damaged beyond repair. Well, so what? Everything that really needs to be bought or sold can be bought or sold in a roundabout way. But now all the masks have been dropped. You can kill anyone, even in the toilet, even in Spain, even in Salekhard. Well, what will you do to us, will you impose ten more sanctions on top of a thousand? Yes, the fight against NATO expansion led to this very expansion. Well, so what? We already knew that we were weaker than the strongest military alliance in history. The experience of the Soviet gateway suggests: not every fight can be won, but it can be made too expensive for the enemy. Rip with your claws, bite with your teeth. Become that psycho who is not messed with. The crowd will pass by, even if it can beat you down - there is simply no one in it who wants to be the first and lose an eye. And with this signal we are all right. “We will not stand behind the price,” as the song says.

What's next? Well, what do they do with successful cases and working strategies? What is absolutely certain is that they are not being abandoned. Take a look at the map of our great ancient empire. How much do we still have left of Rurik, Catherine 2, Prophetic Oleg, Tsar Gorokh? How many more folders with letters from centuries ago can be filed under this case? How many more Russian speakers, oppressed by gendered toilets, languish in anticipation of their brothers? What awaits us in such a scenario is clear. The same thing awaits sons and grandchildren. Just first you need one real little thing. Victory over Ukraine. But she’s not there. Because Ukrainians have been sacrificing their lives for two years. Not for our sake, of course. But they sacrifice.

Mihail Pojarsky 2024-02-24