Daryl wrote:I'm sure that Arol can speak more knowledgeably on this than I can but my take from many sources is that.
Russia is now somewhat unique among countries in the area in that it culturally is back in the 1950s, due to a restricted information flow.
When the population appears to accept an argument that Ukraine is run by NAZIs backed by Zionists, western liberals, and gays; credibility is stretched, seeing as how the real NAZIs killed those people by the millions.
When the mighty Russian war machine grinds to a halt with flat bald tyres, with their money for replacements seemingly being spent on $900 M pleasure yachts.
When the population seems to believe that it is ethical to invade a neighbouring country and kill lots of people, as the country shouldn't exist, with the population really being Russians (albeit second class ones).
When the society internally still believes that gays should be illegal, and political dissent shouldn't be tolerated.
What a dystopic and bleak society you describe, unfortunately what is even more bleak
is how spot on it is!
Add to the pot, it’s also a country racked by rampant paranoid tendencies regarding foreign incursions.
Though when you look closely at those
“incursions” how often they seemed to come out to the advantage of Russia.
That once the smoke had cleared Russia emerged stronger and larger than before.
Case in point: WWII!
Yes, Russia lost millions of its citizens, but does anyone really believe that Stalin and his cohorts cared one whit; behind their crocodile tears, about the losses! The war had gained them suzerainty over Eastern Europe,
The tendencies are still there, to be used and exacerbated by a cynical ruling elite.
This whether it was the old USSR’s Politburo who had it easier: after all:
they were protecting the workers of the world from the evil capitalists! 
Putin has had it tougher, he’s has to reach into the “Godwin” bag to pull out something that is anathema to all Russians: “Nazi’s”!!!
The second RIA document said it all; yes I know it was a lousy translation, but it couldn’t distort the fact that it was from a Russian source and meant for a domestic audience. The fact that it contained the word “Nazi” included in some form or other around 100 times was more than coincidence.
Dehumanizing and an demonizing ones opponents or enemies is nothing new, Putin has simply gone to the extreme of putting all his into one bag: gays, liberals etc. and calling them Nazi’s and their enablers!
