About Elites.

Three years (almost) ago I wrote about HOW real elites are brought up. It was a discussion of Russia's new national security strategy. Recall:

The future of Russia, in addition to the material well-being of its citizens, also depends on how we manage to preserve spirituality and morality, traditions, and pass on to the young generation the memory of the heroic past of their ancestors. To neutralize the threats associated with the distortion of history, with the destruction of basic moral and ethical norms, with attempts to introduce alien ideals and values ​​in the field of education, culture, religion, the Strategy formulates a new strategic national priority "Protection of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, culture and historical memory ". 

After that  I added:

As the strategic truism goes--want the enemy to surrender its country, bring up its youth. Here is Brittany, speaks about this issue. 

Well, Vladimir Putin understands the issue really well:

War veterans returning from the Ukraine conflict should become Russia’s new elite, President Vladimir Putin has argued. Addressing ministers and top St Petersburg officials on Friday, Putin also called on Russian ministers to provide decommissioned military personnel with all the support necessary to facilitate this process. The Russian head of state previously revealed that some 617,000 service members had been deployed in Ukraine. “I met today with students, who put their studies on hold, many of them, [and] went to the warzone,” Putin remarked. “It’s out of these people that we should be forming the country’s elite in the future,” he added. The Russian head of state described returning troops as those who can be entrusted with the country’s development.

For those who still cannot get it--this is not the military class of the times of Plato or even of WW I. This is military class of Russia which is highly educated and with enormous combat and life experiences. Now try to push sick Western "cultural" agenda through this class--good luck with that. As elaborated further:

“Hence, they should be supported [and] assisted,” President Putin concluded. He also contrasted veterans with “people who, pardon me, expose their genitals or show their bottom” – an apparent reference to a private party featuring an ‘almost naked’ dress code organized by prominent Russian blogger Anastasia Ivleeva in Moscow last month. Photos and videos from the event, which was attended by Russian celebrities, mostly pop artists, ended up on the internet, scandalizing conservative activists and authorities alike. One attendee in particular, 25-year-old rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, aka Vacio, drew special attention as he sported nothing but a Balenciaga sock on his penis in the way of clothing. Some have since suggested that he was emulating Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis’ look from the 1990s.

So, Russia is going back to her historic root of having a military class as her elite of elites and it is the only way to preserve Russian culture.