Reading your analysis, I was struck by how your conclusion about "aggressive immobility" might describe a plurality (majority?) of Americans' moods. Given the level of "perceived incompetence" many here attribute to the Biden administration and that Trump 2.0 is likely to foist upon us, I suspect that many here in America will adopt/have already adopted the Russian attitude that we too "live on the outskirts of town." Unless government has profound negative effects on our lives, we too believe that "caring too much is dangerous" - and futile - and decide that "our lives and livelihoods ...[do not] depend very much on what the regime does."
I, too, wondered whether all the op-eds/claims about Syria's affect on Putin were premature. I feel like the future of Syria has been predicted and explained in detail, merely a week after Assad fled. I guess it's how the 24-hour news cycle functions...but it's not helpful for the public's understanding.
Please do at some point cover the topic you mentioned, re: "the proportion of respondents who think that Putin serves the interests of ordinary citizens has gone up significantly since the war began." Thanks.
Is it possible that "I live on the outskirts" means something along the lines of "I just keep my head down"?
Re Putin's failure to support Syria any longer: as you say, not a big deal for people within Russian, but how does that perceived weakness play out in, say, the Caucasus?
Yes, Sarah Jarosz is a particular talent. And if trios, and not just duets, is also okay by you, you might enjoy her in I'm With Her. Maybe you already have.
Per your point this week, I agree. And I wonder how many of the authors that you gently disagree with would actually themselves agree with your "can" and "must" distinction -- in the sense that they would substitute the former for the latter in describing their true position on the consequences of Prigozhin, Syria, etc. But to draw eyeballs to a public-facing op ed, there's a built-in bias toward saying X, Y, or Z "must" as opposed to "can" make a difference. And since few keep score of who over-stated something in the past, we get the op-eds, etc. we do.
Reading your analysis, I was struck by how your conclusion about "aggressive immobility" might describe a plurality (majority?) of Americans' moods. Given the level of "perceived incompetence" many here attribute to the Biden administration and that Trump 2.0 is likely to foist upon us, I suspect that many here in America will adopt/have already adopted the Russian attitude that we too "live on the outskirts of town." Unless government has profound negative effects on our lives, we too believe that "caring too much is dangerous" - and futile - and decide that "our lives and livelihoods ...[do not] depend very much on what the regime does."
Another perspective on "aggressive immobility" .... In Candide, Voltaire's theme is often summarized as the words of a Turk sitting under a tree: "We must cultivate our garden" - frequently rephrased as "tend your garden." I'm thinking a lot of us Americans will follow that advice. https://www.openculture.com/2020/09/what-voltaire-meant-when-he-said-that-we-must-cultivate-our-garden.html
I, too, wondered whether all the op-eds/claims about Syria's affect on Putin were premature. I feel like the future of Syria has been predicted and explained in detail, merely a week after Assad fled. I guess it's how the 24-hour news cycle functions...but it's not helpful for the public's understanding.
Please do at some point cover the topic you mentioned, re: "the proportion of respondents who think that Putin serves the interests of ordinary citizens has gone up significantly since the war began." Thanks.
Is it possible that "I live on the outskirts" means something along the lines of "I just keep my head down"?
Re Putin's failure to support Syria any longer: as you say, not a big deal for people within Russian, but how does that perceived weakness play out in, say, the Caucasus?
Yes, Sarah Jarosz is a particular talent. And if trios, and not just duets, is also okay by you, you might enjoy her in I'm With Her. Maybe you already have.
Per your point this week, I agree. And I wonder how many of the authors that you gently disagree with would actually themselves agree with your "can" and "must" distinction -- in the sense that they would substitute the former for the latter in describing their true position on the consequences of Prigozhin, Syria, etc. But to draw eyeballs to a public-facing op ed, there's a built-in bias toward saying X, Y, or Z "must" as opposed to "can" make a difference. And since few keep score of who over-stated something in the past, we get the op-eds, etc. we do.
Could I ask you to share your telegram channel or is it private? Anyway, thank you!