Politics and nationalism, Russian-style
If you are interested in one possible scenario of how Russia — and the world for that matter — might look without Vladimir Putin in charge of the Russian Federation, you might find this political ad that is causing a stir on YouTube to be revealing.
As you will see, Putin is apparently irreplaceable. If the producers of Россия без Путина? Апокалипсис завтра! (Russia Without Putin? Apocalypse Tomorrow!) are to be believed, one of the many horrific scenes we can expect to see in a post-Putin Russia is nothing less than the swastika-emblazoned national flag of Nazi Germany waving — officially — over Saint Petersburg. This little gem of jaw-dropping propaganda must be seen to be believed.
It should be noted that this video (and others you can find on YouTube with some effort) targets Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner who is gaining support in Russia, but who also has a tinge of anti-immigration ugliness in his rhetoric. It’s that tinge that gives the producers of Russia Without Putin? Apocalypse Tomorrow! an excuse to go out of control with their hysterical depictions of a Russia dominated by hardcore nationalists.
But if you’d like to digest a more reasoned analysis of the role of nationalism in Russian politics today, and why leaders like Navalny emerge, I highly recommend Russia’s liberal-nationalist cocktail, a piece written by Nicu Popescu of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
