2026-11-02T01:32:27Z https://nostr.now TwinkleToes https://nostr.now/npub15n8k6ml6mz4lskp94d3882tw907glk5qkgq9xykkrmvje6l026vsj2a825 https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/a0731772-210d-4eb9-a5dc-705566d4f357.jpeg https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/a0731772-210d-4eb9-a5dc-705566d4f357.jpeg https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy4kg3902j97u5s8pn42qmfpwe6pr3gg6dxc9uhqxz2avpf779hsczyzjv7mt0ltv2h7zcyk4kyuafdc4ler76szeqq5cj6c0djt8taatfjqf7zh9 Russians are simultaneously more and less stupid than they seem to be at the same time. They are really run by the intelligence services, and they often &#34;test narratives&#34; to see how messaging goes over with the populations. They use deliberate &#39;repeaters&#39;, messengers and role players within their sociey to gague themes to try and advance their goals. You see public figures following their scripts consistently, from froth-mouthed apocalyptic lunatics like Solovyev and Medvedev threatening to end the world, down to malcontent grunt Z-Bloggers like Girkin muttering tactical level failures, acting as a release valve for the failings of the state &#39;not going far enough&#39;. The ones who are allowed to speak on an ongoing basis are sanctioned to do so, for reasons that make sense to the FSB. <br/><br/>Until recently, any public talk of even ACKNOWLEDGING, much less ending the SMO/ aka &#34;War&#34; would get you locked up for discrediting the army. Now, they are starting to seep out war-ending off-ramp strategies. This is the first time I&#39;ve seen one around the idea that the war should be stopped &#34;for the good of the economy&#34;. That sounds more high minded than verboten military or moral alternatives like &#34;we&#39;re losing&#34; or &#34;it&#39;s the humane thing to do&#34;. At any rate, it&#39;s at least tolerated public dialogue that explicitly talks of ending the war. None of these narrative tests are accidental - some are outbursts, where the messager is locked up or killed - but this is different in that it&#39;s from a named public figure. <br/><br/>Having them say &#34;it&#39;s for the good of the economy&#34; allows them to at least try to avoid the humiliation of a completely stalled front that they have been unable to move substantially for nearly two years. It ignores their invasion&#39;s absolute failure, doesn&#39;t acknowledge that maybe little brother ukraine isn&#39;t an inherently inferior race, or that the entire country ackshually belongs to Rusia, because - reasons - and doesn&#39;t have a right to exist. It doesn&#39;t even mention NATO as the REAL reason why they aren&#39;t vacationing in Kyiv today. <br/><br/>It&#39;s all a colossal tragedy, of course. But putting that aside - it&#39;s both funny and somewhat pathetic that this is where they&#39;re at more than four years in having squandered their entire soviet inhertiance on a petty 20th century revenge project led by an overpromoted gangster ghoul. But - it&#39;s also a good thing that they&#39;re openly talking about how to exit an aggressive war of invasion while being WELL short of their goals of conquest. <br/><br/>Will be interesting to see if this &#34;for the economy&#34; theme persists as a face-saving tactic. What do you think?<br/> 2026-06-01T17:27:10Z