WARGASM: Warhawking in the Caucasus

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But into this national classic comes a new character. Vladimir Putin is desperate for a diversion. The Russian economy is unsustainable at its current rate of growth and with its present character. I'm not a Friedmanite, but there's only so many ex-KGB agents that can be put on the company payroll. This is what has happened in enterprises owned by the "oligarchs," which still dominate the Russian economy in a dangerous way. Some are even in sensitive positions, pulling levers for their real boss - the one who doesn't sign their paychecks.

And the war on Chechnya - as readers of communique know - is not so good. The Russian Orthodox Church can beatify enough victims of the Tatar Horde to make it a fashionable crusade. American chickenhawks can cherish the hope that the Russians will join us in Iraq, which is about as likely as a real, honest-to-God Chechen "mercenary" being found in any place they've been rumored to be fighting the wicked infidels outside of Chechnya itself. This thing is going to drag on with innumerable tragedies until no one is left that remembers what it was about.

The problem though is that in Chechnya, Vladimir Putin believes he's found the Russian National Idea. Russians - especially "patriotic" Russian intellectuals - have always believed that their nation is destined to fulfill some "mission." Stamping Chechnya under a shiny boot must be it. They're rebuilding Russia by tearing down Chechnya, and with it whatever remained of the ideals brought into the world the day Lenin's first statue came down.

But since the Russian National Idea can't be achieved - since Chechnya, "bandits" and all can't be conquered - they're looking to find out a reason why. They already blamed Yeltsin, their Chechen allies, their own army, but Putin's "vigorous measures" haven't had the desired effect. So, as Nietzsche once wrote, a state which can't achieve its real goal "swells to an unnatural size... The strength that should go into the flower here remains in the leaves and stem."


Sobaka