Language that doesn’t bend will break
Maurice grunted when he opened the door and beheld his companion waving his tablet, undoubtedly loaded with ammunition in his latest strategy.
“I thought we separated on unfriendly terms?!”
“I can assure you that we are still combatants. But why the ceasefire? We should be barraging each other!”
Maurice instantly grew tired of what was to come, but he felt that he ought to win against his opponent. He didn’t want the neighbors to accuse him of entertaining Russian propaganda, so he waved his so-called friend around the house following a narrow garden path until they were out of hearing range. Signalling with a harsh gaze, he enticed his friend to begin.
The iPad was loaded with a PDF: “NATO’s Response to Hybrid Threats” from 2015
“Wait, I’d like to skim through it first.”
After some reading, Maurice lifted his head.
“Aren’t NATO very astute observers? I’ll quote for you.”
“Then let me respond in kind.”
[…] the Kremlin is evidently trying to secure itself against a new setback in United Russia’s poll standings by encouraging the appearance of a large number of political parties, of which only a few will stand a chance of gaining a seat in parliament.
Overall, the prospects for Russia’s small liberal opposition remain grim.
[…] Moreover, 35-40% of Russians who could be attributed to the middle class are state employees – the vast majority of them would not dare to fundamentally challenge the current political system.
Since his return to the presidency in 2012, Putin has made intensive use of Russian legislation to restrict and, where possible, eliminate political opposition and dissent through enforcing a series of harsh laws.
The guest replied: “Let me paraphrase that:”
“Since 1954 the Communist Party has been banned in the US. The climate in America for any socialist or communist position is almost dangerous. Like being a German in America in World War 1.
The vast majority of voters will not dare to fundamentally challenge the liberal political system. They will swear to uphold the constitution.”
“Okay, then what about:”
“Extremism” is a nebulous term, since in today’s Russia, any displeasure with the authorities is equated to extremism ‒ especially if it is publicly expressed.
To which he answered:
“Terrorism” is a nebulous term, since in today’s America, any journalistic act of publishing insider information, i.e. any information of any real value, and of a displeasing nature to the authorities is equated to espionage and terrorism.
Maurice read another page.
Russian citizens can now be sentenced to up to five years of imprisonment for inciting extremist activity through the Internet.
“Oh that one is easy…Compare with entrapment cases as deviced by the FBI”
Stings are not governed by laws passed by Congress but by guidelines first mapped out by the U.S. attorney general in 1976. Since then, those guidelines have been revised multiple times, with further guidance added that can be updated without notice. (pbs.org)
“Just start here: Intercept’s database of entrapment cases to see how easy it is to lure someone into a trap. Read some of the personal stories.”
Maurice’s guest stood up.
“We can go on like this forever.
Look, NATOs book is full of tropes. So is the Kremlin playbook. So is the US State Department’s published information. When it becomes a battle for narratives, things are becoming too metaphysical for me. I can understand the anger in FBI’s’ entrapment cases. World is full of injustice. FBI plays on the emotions to furnish the anger until someone does something stupid. Justice?”
“If someone has the potential for crime, then why not allow it to surface and then eliminate the threat to society?”
“Then FBI protects we, the criminals in spe against them, the almost overt criminals.
You miss the anger part: Witness enough injustice to those you sympathize with, and your anger will at some point reach a boiling point. For all of us.”
“Speak for yourself.”
The guest knew the impossibility of his position. This man had never raged against glaring injustice. What would he mutate into if ever that should happen?
/PARADOX