To be honest, I do not follow the moronic ramblings of Putin’s propagandists with any particular attention. Political propagandists—regardless of the country they represent or the side they serve—are incapable of saying anything remotely rational. What they say has nothing to do with clear thinking or sound reason. Their purpose is precisely to keep society away from sobriety and rationality, and to play on base instincts and blind emotions.
In this sense, Vladimir Solovyov is no exception. His frothing praise of the aggression against Ukraine naturally stirs the great-power instincts of a significant segment of Russian society, as well as the ressentiment of “the whole world is against us, but we will not surrender.” Threats of aggression against Armenia strike the same sensitive chord in Russian society. Such threats are, of course, unacceptable, and the reaction of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry was entirely appropriate.
That could have been the end of the matter, were it not for the exuberant reaction of Pashinyan’s propagandists—the Armenian “Solovyovs.” This includes members of the Civil Contract party, its satellites, and representatives of the so-called NGO sector. (The latter, incidentally, should express special gratitude to Solovyov, whose performances help secure their future grants.)
When Aliyev issues far harsher threats against Armenia, these three propaganda units rush to assure us that the Azerbaijani president’s words are “for a domestic audience.” Even though it would be far more logical to assume that threats coming from a head of state are more real and more dangerous than the bluster of a court propagandist. Yet it is precisely in Solovyov’s case that they find it convenient to speak of “hybrid threats,” as well as of an Armenian “non-independence-minded,” “province-dreaming,” “pro-Russian” opposition. In short, yet another pretext for hysteria and paranoia.
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Is it Putin, not Solovyov, who is really issuing these threats? Fine, let us assume that is the case. Then tell your “boss”—who meets with the Russian president almost every month and regularly expresses various forms of gratitude—to go and demand an explanation next time.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
