Interview: The Notion Of A Russia With Limitless Resources 'Is A Propaganda Picture'
Meanwhile, quite an in-depth conversation on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about the latest shifts and ripples in regime behavior. It's been imperfectly (if at all) edited due to internal editorial miscommunications always mysterious to an outsider, but I hope the meaning comes out clear.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-interview-tavberidze-schulmann-putin-propaganda-war-resources/33029485.html
"But this mood of the elites is fluid; they aren't very strategic people. For example, a couple of months ago, the general idea among the elites was that 'we'll just have to hold on through the end of 2024 and then Donald the savior will come and make everything right for Russia.' This has changed. There isn’t much hope in [presumed Republican presidential nominee and ex-President Donald] Trump any longer.
So there's been much more talk about an agreement. I’d describe it like this, which may seem paradoxical, but I hope you'll understand what I mean: The elites love the state of war because it strengthens their position internally. They have more money than they had previously, and they have more political sovereignty. They like the besieged fortress situation, which again simplifies internal policy management. They like everything except the actual military action, because it's unpredictable, it's costly, it elevates people like Prigozhin, it creates constant anxiety, and it costs a lot of money, and some of this money goes to the people, and they don't like that. They don't like paying that much.
The Russian state has never paid that much money to its people for anything-for their work, for their life, for their death, for whatever. The idea that Russia is a country of limitless resources is a propaganda picture. But the strange thing, and it is so strange that we can't realize it, is this: It has always been the case in Russia's history that people are abundant but money is scarce.
Hard currency, gold, or foreign currency have value; people have no value whatsoever. 'We have as much [human capital] as we need.' Now it's the other way around. I can't adequately explain to you, I can’t even explain to myself what a gamechanger it is. They don't understand it themselves because they've never seen anything like this."
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И (ИЛИ) РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ [ФИО] ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА [ФИО].
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-interview-tavberidze-schulmann-putin-propaganda-war-resources/33029485.html
"But this mood of the elites is fluid; they aren't very strategic people. For example, a couple of months ago, the general idea among the elites was that 'we'll just have to hold on through the end of 2024 and then Donald the savior will come and make everything right for Russia.' This has changed. There isn’t much hope in [presumed Republican presidential nominee and ex-President Donald] Trump any longer.
So there's been much more talk about an agreement. I’d describe it like this, which may seem paradoxical, but I hope you'll understand what I mean: The elites love the state of war because it strengthens their position internally. They have more money than they had previously, and they have more political sovereignty. They like the besieged fortress situation, which again simplifies internal policy management. They like everything except the actual military action, because it's unpredictable, it's costly, it elevates people like Prigozhin, it creates constant anxiety, and it costs a lot of money, and some of this money goes to the people, and they don't like that. They don't like paying that much.
The Russian state has never paid that much money to its people for anything-for their work, for their life, for their death, for whatever. The idea that Russia is a country of limitless resources is a propaganda picture. But the strange thing, and it is so strange that we can't realize it, is this: It has always been the case in Russia's history that people are abundant but money is scarce.
Hard currency, gold, or foreign currency have value; people have no value whatsoever. 'We have as much [human capital] as we need.' Now it's the other way around. I can't adequately explain to you, I can’t even explain to myself what a gamechanger it is. They don't understand it themselves because they've never seen anything like this."
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И (ИЛИ) РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ [ФИО] ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА [ФИО].