"Gullivers Among the Lilliputians" — an ideological instruction for a pool of district state-run newspapers that became a Nizhny Novgorod Meme.

Publication of the document on the NNRU forums and the subsequent symposium of the "Nizhny Novgorod Chronicles" with Irina Murakhtaeva provoked an asymmetric response from the editorial staff of "Nizhny Novgorod Pravda" ("TOPIC: A person from 'Nizhny Novgorod Pravda' was answering himself under 4 usernames") — the staff took to the internet, where they attacked the director of the company NNRU Mikhail Iosilevich, wishing to ritually do battle for the honor of "United Russia" and their own editorial office at the same time.

Reproduced below is the text of this motivational document.

Contents

Quoted from the topic on the NNRU City Forum, italics by the "Nizhny Novgorod Encyclopedia".

"TOPIC: Valuable instructions from Mr. Roman Skudnyakov.

Today another letter arrived at the dependent Media, one of which I too work for (as do I). From the press service of the government of Nizhny Novgorod Region, headed by Roman Skudnyakov.

The full contents:

"

United Russia". Talking Points

The domestic political opposition is being "fed" by the USA. The goal is to deprive "United Russia" (ER) of its parliamentary majority, force a coalition with opposition parties, ensure a series of government crises, and slow down the development of the Russian Federation. The campaign of criticism against "United Russia" (the Navalny campaign) is financed by the USA. Its organizers were counting on ER not obtaining a stable absolute parliamentary majority. This plan was undone by Putin's proposal to form a "People's Front" (PF). Instead of a coalition with political forces, the People's Front envisions a coalition of "United Russia" with mass public organizations and associations. The PF offers public organizations a different quality of relationship. Civil society becomes a co-author of the party program, commissions the country's policy for the next 5 years, and takes part in ER's party list in the elections.

Ideologemes of "United Russia"

  • 1. "United Russia" is the party of the People's Front. The party that gave civil society (trade unions, women's, and other organizations) the opportunity to enter state power and determine the country's future policy. By voting for ER, you are voting for the whole of Russia, for Russia's civil society, for the resolution of specific social issues and problems. If you belong to a trade union, you are voting for trade unions. If you belong to an environmental organization, then you are voting for the environmentalists' program. You are voting for a program in whose drafting millions of people took part, including in your own particular region. ER is the party that represents the People's Front.
  • 2. "United Russia" is the party of Putin and Medvedev, who remain the country's most popular politicians. Their ratings have declined somewhat, but they still look like Gulliver next to the Lilliputians — their political competitors. Putin is the leader of the party and leader of the People's Front, so he is doubly associated with "United Russia". The situation with Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev raises the most questions. The opposition tries to separate Medvedev from Putin and ER, saying: "Medvedev is good and separate, while 'United Russia' and Putin are bad." It must be understood that Putin and Medvedev have differences and disagreements on this or that tactical issue, but they worked out the strategy for the country's development together. Medvedev headed the Presidential Administration under Putin for many years, and later oversaw the national projects — one of the most important elements of Putin's socio-economic strategy. Medvedev stated in one interview that "...it would be wrong for us to run in the elections at the same time, because we represent one political force." That force is the party "United Russia".
  • 3. "United Russia" is a party that has proven its ability to lead the country in crisis situations. The party managed to secure the country's way out of the systemic crisis of the 1990s and to cope with the crisis of 2008-10. ER has proven itself to be a party capable of overcoming trials. The party arose when the systemic crisis of the 90s had not yet been fully overcome, and became a support for Putin in solving the problems of that period: non-payments, wage delays, regional separatism, and Russia's foreign debt. During the 2008-10 crisis, it managed to preserve all social obligations and prevent the collapse of Russia's financial and banking system. Anti-crisis groups were created that tried to solve the population's most acute and pressing problems. Thus, "United Russia", unlike other parties, has proven itself capable of working under crisis conditions.
  • 4. "United Russia" is a party of famous and talented people — outstanding scientists, athletes, and artists (and not crooks and thieves). If you add up all the talented people who belong to ER and those who belong to opposition parties, the United Russia members come out ahead. Such a number of smart and talented people cannot be wrong in their choice of party, if it were leading its people in the wrong direction. It is important for people well-known in the region — ER members — to state, on the eve of the elections, why membership in ER matters to them. They should become the face of the party, not the criminals who exist in any party, under any system, in any country.
  • 5. "United Russia" is the party of stable development. People take out loans because they count on a stable life, on a stable salary. People need stability! The programs of "United Russia"'s opponents envision a radical breakdown of the socio-political system. Unlike them, ER guarantees every family confidence in tomorrow. The stability of the country equals the stability of the family. Today there is no opposition party that would say: "We will come and slightly adjust ER's course." "A Just Russia" (SR) could have occupied this niche, but today SR takes an even more "unrestrained" stance than ER's traditional opponents. Another party coming to power would be a revolution that would destroy all of the population's plans.
  • 6. "United Russia" is a party that defends the interests of the Russian state. Liberals and communists are parties of national treason. The CPRF, as the heir of the CPSU, bears responsibility for the collapse of the USSR. Liberals are responsible for Russia's abandonment, in the 1990s, of an independent foreign policy. ER, with Putin's rise to power, freed the country from foreign debt and dependence on the West. Russia is pursuing an independent, consistent foreign policy. The fact that all the opposition parties support 90% of foreign-policy decisions shows that they have nothing else to offer.
  • 7. "United Russia" is a party that respects national traditions. The party rejects no period of Russian history, refusing to "blacken" either the Soviet or the pre-revolutionary period. ER takes into account the viewpoint of traditional religions when making state decisions. Communists and liberals today are united only in their desire to criticize "United Russia". In everything else, they have no shared values, no common traditions. The only party that preserves traditions significant for all strata of the country's population is "United Russia". ER builds its traditionally strong relationships with the major religious confessions in the area of upholding morality and ethics and resolving social problems. The viewpoint of the major confessions is taken into account when making serious state decisions.
  • 8. "United Russia" has a long-term development program with concrete parameters (the five-year program, the 2020 program), allowing voters to demand from the party an accounting of fulfilled obligations. Its opponents have only a set of slogans, but no concrete programs.
  • 9. "United Russia" is the only party that fulfills its promises. Neither Putin, nor Medvedev, nor "United Russia" have ever allowed themselves to deceive the voters, unlike the communists of the early 1990s and the liberals of the Yeltsin era. The main promises have been fulfilled despite the global financial crisis. The goal of ER's counter-propaganda in the elections is to explain to voters that the main opponent — the CPRF — is unable to solve even the tasks that "United Russia" is solving today. All of the CPRF's proposals are pure populism; the party has not put forward a single concrete program in its entire existence.

Characterization of Opponents

The communists do not want to come to power themselves, because:

  • 1. The CPRF does not have the personnel that would allow it to hold onto this power and wield it. The party is led by no-longer-young figures who came from the ideological, rather than economic, apparatus of the CPSU. Recently, the communists have been actively admitting career-minded businessmen into their ranks, eager to obtain deputy powers. However, the CPRF understands that, having come to power with such personnel "potential", they face a string of corruption scandals like the one happening in Bratsk, where a criminal case has been opened against a communist mayor.
  • 2. Second, having come to power, the communists would be forced to pursue the very policy they themselves condemn today, which would cause the harshest conflict between the party leadership and party activists on the ground. For example, the policy of the "red" governors in the 90s was no different from that of the "white" ones. That is, in the regions of the "red belt" no particular emphasis was placed on defending the interests of working people.

"A Just Russia"

The party is in the deepest crisis and will not overcome the 7-percent barrier, which will negatively affect the party's sponsors and its electorate. The Just Russia members declared that they would become the second party in the country, but they continue to hold fourth place in the ranking of four political parties. "A Just Russia" is a second-rate party.

LDPR

The party claims that it is the only party of the future, even though its leader has just turned 70".

Comments from the Recipient of the Instruction

See Also

  • PZhiV