Should it be read literally or assumed to be speaking in code? If he speaks in codes, does that mean that different codes are meant for different addressees? Can signs of psychological illness be noticed "between the lines"? Does he believe in everything he says or is the pragmatics coated with ideology? Can we identify any historical patterns that would allow us to more precisely understand the intentions? These are all questions that form the backbone of the most widespread genre of exegesis today: the interpretation of the texts and speeches of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. In the last episode on the wallpaper is the speech that Putin gave to ministers and other relevant officials at a meeting two days ago. The meeting was held in the form of a video conference, and its official name was "Meeting on the topic of socioeconomic assistance to constituent entities of the Russian Federation".
In his introductory speech, Putin presented the situation in Ukraine to his associates, still insisting that it is a defensive war and that the goal is the "denazification" of Ukraine. Nothing important has changed in the explanation of the motive for the invasion, therefore. The central part of the speech was the political-economic measures that the government intends to use in cooperation with entrepreneurs to deal with the demanding economic situation caused by sanctions. However, the very fact that the West can be directly blamed for the problematic economic situation has also contributed to reflection on the West itself and its intentions. Putin covered several aspects in that reflection, but we will focus on the most interesting ones. And that's the classy one. Namely, Putin no longer sees the main cause of the "downfall of the West" in cultural and sexual decadence, which should be opposed by traditional Christian values. The main cause is inequality.
In an effort to be as convincing as possible, Putin also addressed ordinary people in the West in his speech and told them: "The problems faced by millions of people in the West are the result of years of policies of your ruling elites, their mistakes and short-sighted moves and ambitions. These elites do not think about how to improve the lives of the citizens of Western countries. They are obsessed with their interests and super profits. All this can be seen in the data of international organizations that clearly show that social problems, even in leading countries, have worsened in recent years, that inequality has grown and that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. The purpose of introducing a class analysis of Western societies is very clear: Putin wants to say that the sanctions against Russia are actually just a continuation of the reckless policies of the Western elites. And he proves this by warning that ordinary people in the West will suffer the most due to the effects of sanctions - higher energy and food prices. As they have been suffering for many years due to the actions of their elites.
Of course, the awakening of class consciousness among the European working class is not Putin's goal. The real goal is the "consolidation" of the Russian nation and the ideological preparation of the ground for the strengthening of repression. In addition to an appeal to ordinary people from the West, whom he considers victims of the moves of his elites, Putin also sent a threat to the Russian upper class, which allegedly wants to become part of those elites. And there he made an interesting distinction. He did not condemn those who "have villas in Miami and on the French Riviera and cannot live without foie gras, oysters and gender freedom as they call it." Those who live there are not a problem at all. The problem is those who earn money in Russia, but mentally "live" in the West. They do not live with their own people, but want to become part of the Western supercaste, which they also consider a superior race. As Serbian rightists who think they are leftists would say: they are autochauvinists. Or to paraphrase Croatian right-wingers who think they are liberals: they are mental capitalists. They are, in Putin's words, the fifth column, scum and traitors.
In the manner of recognizable traditions of fascist ideology, Putin outsourced their removal to "natural" processes. After establishing that the Russian people will easily separate traitors and scum from true patriots, he emphasized the automaticity of that process: "I am convinced that the natural and necessary self-detoxification of society will strengthen our country, solidarity, cohesion and readiness to respond to challenges." A roundabout class analysis that does not aim at the elimination of classes or at least the reduction of class inequalities aims to separate the good from the bad elites and to leave the process of removing the bad to the "natural" action of the people. The collusion between the patriotic elite and the people is what will supposedly save the country and the nation. Ignoring any economic causes of the differences between the people and the elite permeates Putin's entire speech, and occasionally these causes are explicitly denied. Thus, in one place, he claims that unlike the West, which resorted to sanctions, Russia has never threatened the freedom of private property.
To summarize the geographical trajectory of Putin's class analysis: Western elites have produced huge inequalities in their countries, which sanctions against Russia will only deepen, and the part of the Russian elite that mentally "lives" in the West and wants to become part of those elites is the fifth column that the Russian people will in the process to remove "natural" class revenges in order to continue living in symbiosis with his patriotic elite led by Putin. And that is why ordinary people in the West should support the invasion of Ukraine because it is a fight against their elites who make them poor. To paraphrase the lunatics of far-right critical theory: postmodern neo-fascism.
Bonus video:
