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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is why it’s impossible for the Kremlin to lie about Putin’s weird disappearance
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/03/14/this-is-why-its-impossible-for-the-kremlin-to-lie-about-putins-weird-disappearance/This is why its impossible for the Kremlin to lie about Putins weird disappearance
By Julia Ioffe March 14 at 6:00 AM
Its been more than a week now since anybodys seen Russian President Vladimir Putin. He had a mundane meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on March 5, and then nothing. Since then, Putin hasnt been seen in public, and the Russian blogosphere can talk about nothing else.
(snip)
Unsurprisingly, this combinationactive and seemingly frantic dissimulation, and flat denial that anything is amissis perfect for the Internet. #PutinIsDead began trending on Russian Twitter, and the Russian blogosphere began to churn out theories of what happened to Dear Shirtless Leader, each version more ludicrous than the next.
(snip)
This is, in large part, a crisis of the Kremlins making. If Peskov cant make Putin reappear, the obvious thing to do would be to furnish some plausible explanation, like, The President has come down with a bad case of the flu but is following all developments and will be back at work shortly. But that statement is impossible for two reasons. First, manly men dont get sick. (snip) The second problem is that no one would believe Peskov. The flu would become its own meme and people would parse that statement for clues about Putins secret death or secret stroke or secret tumor. Thats because the Kremlin has done such dissembling before.
(snip)
Then there are the more alarming times Russian leaders have disappeared. (snip) You can see why some in Russia are panicking right nowor veiling their discomfort in humor. It certainly doesnt help that Putins disappearance comes at a particularly nervous time for the country. It is at war in Ukraine, its economy is shuddering under sanctions and historically low oil prices, and the opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, was recently gunned down steps from the Kremlin. There is a sense in Moscow that the wheels are coming off. To Moscows chattering class, Putins disappearance confirms that impression.
(snip)
Which tells you why Russian liberals are so worried and, strangely, implicitly hoping for Putins reappearance. Two weeks ago, one of their main leaders was assassinated. The other one, Alexey Navalny, has basically admitted that the opposition has been neutered and marginalized. And if Putins gone, they certainly wont be the ones to take power. It will be the real strongmen.
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)LOL - and doesn't want anyone to know.
Cosmocat
(14,568 posts)Something elective ...
Interesting to see how it shakes out.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)he probably thinks this thread is about him.
Thanks, I have had "Lost in Love" stuck in my head all day, and this knocked it out
PADemD
(4,482 posts)Why did he make that statement to a classroom?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017250756
Curious, now that he has disappeared.
jomin41
(559 posts)sex-change operation. Putin 2.1, new and improved! Now, with breasts! Shirtless on horseback!
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]
maindawg
(1,151 posts)The world does not need another dictator with nukes. Russia backs Iran. WW3 the stage is set.....
fasttense
(17,301 posts)After 9-11, Dick the Cheney had disappeared, hiding no doubt in fear for his life. All sorts of rumors were about on the interwebs. Then in a puff of smoke, I.mean out of nowhere, he returned to the land of the living without a heart to destroy America as a neocon demon. Oh wait neocon and demon is redundant.
BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)asking "Where is Dick Cheney?" over the 8 years he was in office.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)This Fox-type speculation is fun, you can just make connections and stuff up and it is all good.
BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)and 6 weeks later reappeared? Ankle surgery.
Usually when these folks "disappear", they are having some sort of procedure done and are in recovery. At least the times when Castro was ill, the government announced that he was ill and having treatment rather than try to overtly hide it like their Communist brethern (and even with that, there was always the "He's dead Jim" speculation by the media, which has gone on for the past couple decades).