Whether People Will Vote for Putin?

They will vote obligatory! Our companion Saltykov-Shchedrin is convinced of it. No, it's not the namesake of the great Russian writer. It's he, Michael Yevgrafovich, in person. It doesn't matter that he lived one and a half century ago. Great writers always posses ability to glance in the depths of the national soul. These depths change very slowly. Today we call these depths simpler - mentality.

So, mentality of our people is designated by Saltykov-Shchedrin precisely enough. The great satirist defined the core of the national mentality so: chief liking. It's actually not bad, if the chief is good. Whence could we get good chief now? All of them died off, remained - just a raff.

Here on FORUM.msk we have clever men who call us to support boycott. Say, don't go on elections, they are all the same unfair. Though how not to go on elections? We have already got accustomed to them. Clever men don't calm down: comrades, as if we were born yesterday? After all your head have been already chosen. What of it? We will choose him one more time. It's a pleasure to us and brings pleasure to him. We have such... forget how it's called... well, mentality! Here you are!

Well, what's possible to object? Mentality - serious thing, you will not go against mentality. Whether you think our people are silly? No, people are wise. People perfectly well see who gives orders to us today. While how could we live absolutely without the head? Who will appoint and dismiss ministers? Who will scold slovens? Who will teach us how to extinguish forest fires? Who will express condolence to families of victims? In our country planes fall from the sky every day - be ready to bury and wipe tears. It's somehow easier to do it with condolence from the head. Well, we won't manage to live without the head.

Why should it be Putin then? In fact all see that he has scanty brains, by appearance he is also far not Ivan Tsarevich. Actually he is not even Alain Delon. Nevertheless they will go and vote for him.

So, questions and questions again... Who will answer them? Michael Yevgrafovich can answer. As a matter of fact he had already answered. It appears all is very simple. We philosophize here on abstract themes saying that Putin doesn't have any program that oligarchs prosper during his reigning, industry collapses, corruption grows, there is mad larceny of budget money. While people look not at external displays but on the character of the head. They see: this one is in all respects the one we need.

Here you are what Michael Yevgrafovich tells about it. Be not surprised that the writer names our ancestors silly. It's only because they lived in Sillytown. So.

- Despite insuperable hardness citizens of Sillytown - coddled and excessively spoiled people. They love that there was an affable smile at the chief's face...

Tell me, unless it's not about Vladimir Vladimirovich? Affable smile doesn't leave his face even when something blows up, sinks, burns, falls in the country. It is possible even to tell that his face always expresses constant, independent optimism.

- Citizens of Sillytown like that from time to time their chief pronounces humourous catchphrases.

It's also about him, about Putin. In the number of humourous catchphrases he has surpassed all chiefs of all times. Here you can recollect both "get them in the toilet" and "to drag one's feet". By the way, about dragging one's feet - actually it's his favourite theme for humourous catchphrases. Sheer poetry. One can set it to music to put and will receive ready romances.

- In opinion of citizens of Sillytown, the chief can make everything, he can even not make any actions but if he won't chat at that, his name will never become popular.

Well, it is exactly about him. So, philosophers and political scientists, if you now understand why Putin is so popular? Yes, the reason is: he perfectly well owns the art of chatting! All the rest is not important, all the rest - trifles. Citizens of Sillytown had different city governors but whom they recollect with gratitude? Only those who was able to chat and say kind humourous catchphrases.

Well, here you are, for example, the city governor with nickname "Music Box", citizens recollected him with bewilderment. The only phrase he pronounced was: "None of that!" From time to time he ran out from the office, cried "None of that!" - and disappeared again in the office.

- Unprecedented activity suddenly began in all ends of a city: private police officers ran, district inspectors ran, assessors ran, police keepers forgot what it meant to eat duly and since then acquired addiction to grasp pieces on the fly. Grasp and catch, swish and whang, describe and sell... While city governor just sits and scrapes out new and new compulsions...

Well, you thought, it's really about Putin. On the contrary, you are mistaken. It only seems that it's about him. Big deal: "swish and whang, describe and sell". Citizens of Sillytown got used to it. The main thing is that they didn't like that the only phrase of the new city governor at all listed above actions was: "None of that!"

No, citizens of Sillytown recollect with gratitude absolutely other city governors. Their acts were all the same. But characters - absolutely different picture!

- Swish and collect arrears but as thus they always pronounced something kind, their names were not only brought into table but even served as a subject of diversified oral legends.

It's already exactly about Putin. He punishes and even imprisons. Thus he at once after it tells courtesy: say, I've warned you don't go into extremism? Yes, I have. You haven't obeyed, well, then receive bludgeon on a bean. Very lovely and very kindly, isn't so?

About collecting arrears. Not from oligarchs, of course, from us - simple people. Putin kindly inquires, whether life became worse? But same it is great! There's crisis all over the world, we also have crisis. It means we have already joined world economy: everything is as it should be. We should be happy.

So, in general, from all sides Vladimir Vladimirovich has the character which quite well corresponds to the national mentality. So be quiet: they will go and vote for him. Don't doubt: his name will be by all means written into the table.

One more thing. While we talked to Michael Yevgrafovich, one clever man maliciously said: "That is true. Our people are very like citizens of Sillytown!"

I personally indignantly sweep this insinuation aside. As I've already told, citizens of Sillytown were not silly at all, they were called so only because they lived in the city of Sillytown.

Unless we also live in Sillytown? No, we live in Moscow, in Tula, in Saratov and other cities, therefore we are called Muscovites, inhabitants of Tula, citizens of Saratov and so on.

However, meticulous literary critics assert that by city of Sillytown the great satirist meant all Russia. Well, we can't be responsible for fantasies of the writers. They could imagine different things! The most important thing: what relation have the hints of literary critics to us? Whether we are citizens of Sillytown? After all we live not in some Sillycountry, we live in Russia. Therefore we are the Russians. Or even, as our unforgettable Boris Nikolaevich used to say, dear Russians.

No, we are not citizens of Sillytown. Perhaps, I am mistaken, then let Michael Yevgrafovich or someone else will correct me.

Natalya Morozova

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