Far worse than any Rotenbergs, Timchenkos, or Yakunins are these kinds of characters. A Rotenberg is still a one-off product, and there can’t be many of them: the amount of money is limited. But these people have multiplied all across the country in countless numbers.
The main political product of Putin’s 15 years in power is this kind of guy who tells us that he should become mayor of the city of Berdsk without elections because of an “external threat.”
So, apparently, we all need to unite. Build the vertical of power and “PREVENT RANDOM PEOPLE FROM GETTING INTO GOVERNMENT.” And this acting mayor of Berdsk has supposedly been informed by the operational services that Western intelligence agencies will use elections to destabilize the situation.
Do you understand, he is saying this to a local media outlet in complete seriousness. And he apparently isn’t even afraid that people will just laugh in his face and say: You weirdo, the only “operational services” under your command are electricians, plumbers, and the head of the departmental cafeteria. What the hell intelligence agencies are you talking about? What random people? You’re the random person here — the kind who would never win an election.
What should be the central topic in any discussion about the mayor of Berdsk? I would suggest the fact that the ground collapsed under a car in the city center, and more broadly, what is happening with housing and public utilities.
But instead, people are discussing “Western intelligence agencies” and an “external threat.”
This is very bad. Why work at all if you can do sweet fuck-all and not worry that a better candidate will vote you out.
Amazingly, it is not any actual “intelligence agencies” themselves, but the mythology about intelligence agencies and external threats that leads to the genuine degradation of public administration. The worst people win — the ones who are not embarrassed to keep repeating this nonsense.