Friday, April 6, 2018

Sergei Viktorovich, Finally.



 Lavrov finally got it. 


I am being facetious, of course. The realization that there is nobody to talk to in the West and that the Western "Russian expertise" is a sewer or a joke, if one prefers, started to dawn on Russians I would say around 2013. After Ukraine most of the doubts have been dispelled.  The trust, of course, was lost much earlier—around the time of US unilaterally existing ABM Treaty in 2002. This fact, actually, explains Russia's rather nonchalant attitude towards Trump's proposal for summit in Washington D.C. Russia simply doesn't care anymore. There are signs that Russian political top is not really enthusiastic about Trump's summit proposition (in Russian).  Indeed, to discuss what, with who? One of many signs of such Russian indifference is the fact that yet another round of sanctions slapped against Russia by the United States today is, well, nonchalant behavior of Russian currency, Ruble.

It is very difficult to articulate to the American elite their actual state both vis-à-vis Russia and the world. As I wrote last year, during short breaks from laughing at Frye's statements that field of Russian studies is "thriving" in the US:


Basically, Lavrov today merely stated the obvious fact—the United States has no "expertise" on Russia across the board. The problem here is not in the number of Russian-speaking CIA or State Department, which are the two sides of the same coin, operatives who will do a HUMINT in and on Russia. No number of those will change the situation and increase the knowledge or understanding. The problem is systemic and it is within American academe and "intellectual" milieu which services American political class. American version of Russia's history, especially of the 20th century, bar some very few, however important exceptions, is the history of Russia which never existed and does not exist. It is akin to explaining a 6 year old child the meaning of the extrema in polynomial functions, or explaining to John Bolton what real military and war are—futile since it is beyond their grasp. The recipe for such situations is simple and is condensed in one phrase—don't waste your time. This is precisely what Russia is doing.  

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