Tomorrow in Russia, there will be presidential elections, which Vladimir Putin will win. This will be his fourth presidential term. In fact, he has been in power for 18 years, starting from the moment of his inauguration in January 2000. Almost 150 million people in the territorially largest country in the world will once again give this man a mandate to govern their destiny tomorrow. It is hard not to agree that this is a respectable result. How does he do it?
The main factor of Putin’s political success is a sober and adequate attitude towards the human material he has to deal with. When Feuchtwanger remarked to Stalin in a conversation about the tasteless, exaggerated reverence for his person, Stalin, according to him, “apologized to his peasants and workers for being too busy with other matters to develop good taste in themselves.” Apparently, a similar sober cynicism is inherent in Putin, which is manifested in his style of governing his people.
Here are the main methods that bring such results:
Autocracy. Russia is Putin, Putin is Russia. It is difficult to say how decisions are made behind the scenes of power, who among the advisors has what weight, and how responsibilities are actually distributed among them. For the average citizen, the feeling is created that the country is governed by one person. It is not so important what people’s opinions are about this person, whether it is love or hatred. What is important is that the opinion is focused. This helps to keep the situation under control.
Cult of Personality. It is difficult to create a cult of personality of a ruler in six years, however, it can and should be done in almost twenty years. The presence of a cult makes governance easier because it allows relying on authority. The average citizen is generally not inclined to think deeply and critically. Complex logical constructs are difficult and tiring for them. They need clear answers to pressing questions from those in power. The logical conclusion - “because it is Putin” - easily and confidently puts an end to most of them.
Transparency. Annual press conferences with journalists, open lessons with schoolchildren, visits to factories, interviews with foreign journalists - all this creates an image of a person who is open and accessible. What exactly he says - and he speaks well - is not so important. It is important to see him openly communicating with people. This creates a sense of “familiarity” and “kinship”. Meeting a famous actor on the street, we smile and nod, not receiving any reaction in response, which surprises and disheartens us - we are used to considering this person as a close acquaintance. The same effect is produced by the public figure of the politician - Putin has long become familiar to millions of Russians.
Aggressiveness. Not yet president in 1999, Putin promised to “wipe out terrorists in the outhouse”, which, despite the rudeness of the wording, is pleasant to the average voter. This formulation provides a clear formula: we are against them. Who exactly these “they” are, whom we will “wipe out,” is of little importance. What matters is that there is “we” who will not let themselves be offended. During Putin’s years in power, Russia had enough enemies, and if there were not enough, they were created by blowing up buildings (read). It is impossible to unite millions of people around the idea of peace. Hatred and war are needed for cohesion. Whether it is Chechnya, Georgia, Transnistria, Syria, Donbass, or all of NATO together. The population wants to know who the enemy is. The leader’s task is to find or create this enemy. Putin successfully copes with this.
Power. Even Machiavelli believed that the crowd can only be ruled by fear. Neither love, nor respect, nor common sense, nor even money can stop the masses when they get out of control. By granting almost unlimited powers to the enforcement structures, in particular the FSB, Putin simplifies and crystallizes the image of power for his voters - everyone understands who exactly to fear, who holds power, where it comes from, and whom to worship. The negative aspects for the country are fewer than the positive ones, considering the type of people Putin is dealing with.
Ruthlessness. Regular arrests and harsh punishments of people from his inner circle create the image of a just ruler. It doesn’t matter what exactly the next Ulyukaev is guilty of, what matters is how strict and inevitable the punishment is. The people are afraid of the Oprichniki, and the Oprichniki fear the Tsar - this formula has been working for centuries. The people believe that the Tsar knows nothing of lawlessness and corruption. The people want to see the Tsar punish those who overstep the boundaries. The people write letters to the Tsar and rely on his justice. This format of communication with the authorities is convenient and understandable to the people.
Hypocrisy. The theatrical opposition led by the unchanging Zhirinovsky vividly demonstrates that Putin knows how to play a double game and negotiate with opponents. He doesn’t “eliminate in the toilets” everyone, like many dictators do. He pays someone, like Kadyrov, shares the stage and glory with someone, like with Sobchak and Navalny, and simply kills someone - in each case, an individual decision is made. Questions of honor, conscience, and human dignity are completely ignored, as a skilled leader of the masses should do. People don’t care about the qualities of their leader, they care about their personal comfort. A leader who cares about the comfort of the people, rather than the cleanliness of his conscience, will be respected and re-elected.
Self-confidence. Not admitting one’s mistakes is a repulsive quality in an ordinary person. However, in a prominent leader, it becomes a virtue. The people are unable to understand the reasons for mistakes and the conclusions drawn. A mistake is a mistake. According to Machiavelli, a leader who makes mistakes and admits them is a weak leader. Putin never criticizes himself or admits mistakes, while continuing to promise and not deliver, and even lie. From a purely human point of view, this outrages us, but on a scale of millions - it is a quality of an effective leader.
Patriotism. Wisdom, determination, energy, and decisiveness are important qualities of a leader. However, patriotism is more important. The people, even if they are willing to forgive mistakes occasionally, will never forgive disloyalty. Constantly tense, and often outright hostile, relations with other countries and their leaders - a clear message from Putin to his citizens: “I am with you, not with them.” International sanctions and the isolation of Russia on the global stage have little practical impact on the average person, but through the media, they vividly illustrate the patriotism of the president.
The conclusion is one - Putin is doing everything right, considering the circumstances in which he finds himself and the people who choose him. With other people, in another country, under different conditions, perhaps something else could be done.
Tomorrow are the elections, will you vote for Putin?
Translated by ChatGPT gpt-3.5-turbo/42 on 2024-04-20 at 14:33
