Who is to blame and what to do? How Russia solves these two eternal questions today

Dmitry Mikhailichenko, political analyst

1. Fear of the future. The reaction of the majority is to live one day at a time. Planning horizons have been drastically reduced, and those who think either leave or go into internal emigration. For the latter, by the way, maintaining accounts in social networks and publicly expressing their opinion becomes an undesirable factor.

2. Militarization of public consciousness. Most do not accept it, but it happens. Society conformistly agrees to live in this reality. The intention of the structures of power and coercion is more important here than the opinion of the majority and real public demands.

3. The cult of the mobilized. Instead of the topic of social assistance to the poor and talk about economic prosperity, the topic of the mobilized and helping them came. This can have far reaching consequences. In Vietnam, for example, only those who fought in the war receive pensions. The authorities will have to show special care and attention to the veterans, but they are unlikely to become the backbone of the authorities. This is a topic for a separate analysis.

4. Gradual loss of diversity. From the assortment in grocery stores to assessments of what is happening. Here the impact is not only propaganda and zombies, but also the deterioration of the economic state of society: the incomes of Russians do not grow after the return of the Crimea, the middle class is being eroded very rapidly. Being determines consciousness. Hence the growth of intolerance towards the otherness of others.

5. A permanent level of anxiety prevents most people from living freely and thinking for themselves. This is an existential problem for most Russians, including millions of pensioners, mothers of many children, and so on. which darkens the rest of their lives.

6. Search for an answer to the question "Who is to blame?". Since propaganda leads away from a real understanding of the processes, we will be faced with an increasing set of search for surrogates and ersatz "scapegoats". But there is a risk that this will not be enough and, quite possibly, something more will be needed. The real criminal terms in relation to the non-systemic opposition are explained by the fact that their representatives staged a real change of power. But repressions against those who do not set such a goal, but can be used as "scapegoats" in the political and mass sense, have not yet been. So far, the mechanisms for the outflow of dissatisfied people are working and the authorities clearly do not want excessive repressions, but this does not mean that they will not be needed in the future. By the way, the question of what to do for most is not worth it. Very symptomatic of a passive society. The potential for civil interaction is sharply weakened.

7. Polarization of public sentiment and a split in the atomized society does not threaten: where every man for himself the most effective mechanism of consolidation (or, as it were, consolidation) is propaganda and conformism.

8. Consolidation of the ruling class. The need for his survival will force him to rally. so-called. intra-elite squabbles will still be, but the consolidation of the ruling class is possible and then it will be almost a class society.