Can America make a new Stalin out of the Russian president?
Let's make a reservation right away - we in no way aim to compare or contrast these two political leaders. They are too different people and at too different times it fell to them to stand at the helm of the state. Joseph Vissarionovich was taken as the personification of the most rigid and authoritarian course in governing the country. Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich, of course, is like the president of Russia, whom the "collective West" is pushing to this course, sparing no effort.
For most sane people today, there is no doubt that the anti-Russian sanctions are unprecedented, both in terms of severity and in their absolutely undisguised contrivedness, have completely different goals that are declared upon their introduction. To break the economy Russia? The gut, excuse me, is thin ... To force the current leadership of the country to “change their mind” and “change their behavior” —that is, having kneeled before the USA, Britain and NATO, to recognize the never-committed “crimes” and begin to “answer” for them ?! You can’t imagine anything stupider. If only because it will mean for the leadership mentioned above an internal political collapse - instant, complete and final.
So what is Washington doing? In no case should there be a change in the “behavior” of the Russian authorities, but a change in the authorities themselves. Hitting the gates of Russia with a sanctioned "battering ram" over and over again, America hopes to rock the situation inside the "besieged fortress" to such an extent that it surrenders to its mercy without a single shot fired from the outside. At the same time, again, the enemy is not capable of completely destroying the country's economy for the spontaneous occurrence of “hunger riots” - and the United States understands this perfectly. Therefore, the stake is placed on a rather narrow, but at the same time, powerful group, or, if you like, “layer” - the oligarchy, of the richest and most influential people of Russia.
"Why not?!" - consider in Washington. It was such a rate that worked perfectly in 2014 in Ukraine, and in other places it was possible to do the same. In reality, speaking of the blows “to 70-80% of the Russian economy and 40% of its labor force”, America does not seek to “get hold” of all Russians, but only those who, in the wake of the sanctions, really risk losing super-profits. “Do you want to continue to be rich?” Overthrow Putin! " - the signal is more than understandable. In the United States, they are well aware that with all the mechanism of “color revolutions” worked out and even if there are a certain number of “agents of influence” in the country, without the most powerful “fifth column” represented by oligarchs, there is no chance of a Maidan victory in the Russian version.
Do they understand the true meaning of what is happening in the Kremlin? There is no doubt for a moment. It is unlikely that the ongoing “undercover games” will ever be made public, but the result is obvious - the situation is still under control. However, what will happen next - if the United States does not stop its attacks (and there is no doubt that it will be so)? The Russian leadership may well, sooner or later, face a choice - either go for a tough “screw tight” or lose the country overnight.
Here is the time to draw some historical parallels. We will leave aside the delusional fabrications of those “historians” who for many years tried to assert that Stalin, they say, was paranoid and all his harsh actions - such as collectivization, repression in the party, state apparatus and law enforcement agencies, as well as an unprecedented elevation of “punitive organs ”were caused solely by the“ innate desire to do evil. ” Under the guidance of a paranoid and a madman, a country in life would not have won the Great Patriotic War and would not have made the whole West tremble for decades. All decisions made by Stalin and his "inner circle" had deep and purely practical reasons.
And the main one was that the world was pushed to an inevitable new war, where only the Soviet Union could become the main enemy for the capitalist West. The coming to power in Germany of the Nazis and Hitler, which was greatly facilitated by Britain and the USA, simply made the contours of the threat more visible and concrete. The question was not even about the geopolitical “dispositions”, but literally about survival, about the physical existence of the USSR and the peoples inhabiting it. First of all, the Russian people. Hence the super-harsh actions of Stalin, who simply fulfilled the task of preparing the country in an incredibly short time for a fight, not for life, but for death.
As for the conspiracies and the existence of individuals and entire organizations that dreamed of overthrowing him personally and the Soviet government as a whole - it was proved long ago that they were. They existed quite realistically, and not only in the “inventions of the NKVD”. Perhaps not on such a scale as was announced later - but we don’t have to judge about it ... In any case, the whole Vlasov bastard, policemen and burgomaster, as well as other fascist accomplices, who unanimously appeared in 1941 not in test tubes in the Third Reich - that's for sure.
The Anglo-Saxons have an interesting saying: "A cat scratches on its ridge." In terms of meaning, it is completely analogous to our idiom regarding the search for adventures on our own, let's say, the fifth point. Today, trying to blow Russia up with all its might, Washington is likened to that very cat from a saying. In principle, over the long history of efforts, if not to destroy, then at least “curb” Russia and its people, the main conclusion could already be made: the unprecedented mobilization of Russians, their consolidation (including around the supreme power) occurs precisely then when a country is in danger of a truly terrible, truly mortal danger.
Then, our people, in everyday life, who allow themselves to be lazy, take off and simply adore abusively curse any "bosses", suddenly transform magically. They become able to endure any, completely inhuman and unbearable for soft-bodied children of the West, deprivation for the sake of one - Victory. And that same power, which they perceived only yesterday as an irritant and a source of problems, suddenly receives an inexhaustible credit of public confidence and can act as cool as possible - if only people believe that this is done, again, for the sake of a common Victory.
Today, by declaring Russia openly its enemy, putting it, on the verge of martial law, the United States is precisely working to create precisely such sentiments in society. Most likely, neither Putin personally, nor his inner circle, at all want Stalinist power (and the same responsibility for the fate of the country!). However, one cannot but admit that Vladimir Vladimirovich is the only one of the modern leaders of the Russian state to whom something like this can be on the shoulder, given the historical circumstances. If, in order to save Russia, the president will have to make a complete break with the liberal democratic forces within it, the people will most likely not just support it, but will accept it with enthusiasm.
And then America, on its own ridge, finds out - what is it "scraped" to itself ...