такса
Column
Everything is Illuminati
The Byzantiine logic behind modern Russia cynicism
By Michael Idov
Russia is a society of conspiracy theo- though, unworthy of discussion. A real to weaken Karl Rove, with Jon Stewart
rists. In fact, the notion that politics is Russian knows that someone wants you paid off to make jokes about it.
mere theater and policy is determined to think the Ivanov-implicating event One facile, but probably correct, ex-
via backroom collusion is so central to was engineered by Petrov, in which case planation for this phenomenon is that
the Russian worldview that “theorist” it’s a totally brilliant move by Ivanov. the Russians have no reason to trust
is perhaps too weak a word. Russia is Unless, of course, it’s Sidorov trying to anyone tasked with speaking to them.
a society of conspiracy axiomists. The make it look like Ivanov and Petrov are The Kremlin doesn’t even bother to pre-
terms “black PR” and “political tech- locked in a petty smear campaign while tend that the next president is going to
nologies” dot the mainstream press. An he marches off with credibility intact; be anything other than an appointed
art gallery owner (RUSSIA! contributor which means Ivanov and Petrov are ac- functionary, and the print media glee-
Marat Guelman) routinely gets credit tually in a sub rosa pact to take down fully pissed away all the credibility they
for masterminding coups while top offi- Sidorov. If we transplant this rationale had briefly amassed over the perestroi-
cials are blithely dismissed as puppets. to the U.S. soil, for instance, we’d find ka years in the mega-corrupt 1990s.
here is the basic formula, applica- that, in 2000, the insidious push polls For a while, reporters and publishers
ble to any bit of news: if an event makes suggesting John McCain had sired a alike were so eager to turn a buck that
Ivanov look bad, it must be engineered black baby were the handiwork of, say, the line between editorial and adver-
by Petrov. That’s entry-level cynicism, a Condi Rice-hillary Clinton alliance tising simply ceased to exist; several
readrussia.com/2008/WiNTer/ 24
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