For all the striking similarities between Trump and Putin, there is a fundamental difference between them.
Trump is a product of a society of abundance, of excess — a lifestyle without limits. Do whatever you want, take everything from life. Step over every barrier, including moral ones. When external obstacles disappear (because all desired things are already accessible), an illusion arises that internal obstacles disappear as well. Other people turn into instruments and objects. They become things that feel nothing. There is no need to empathize with them. This is how excessive hedonism turns into cruelty.
Putin is a product of a society of scarcity, of deficit. His defining myth is “the blockade of Leningrad.” His key word is “privation” (lisheniya). In a society of privations are born Russia’s “superfluous people” (lishniye lyudi). In this psychology of suffering, the very idea of joy and pleasure disappears. “My only pleasure” is that someone else suffers more than I do. And so, when these “superfluous people of privations” gain power, they want others to suffer as well. “We suffered — now you must suffer too.” “You must be deprived of what is dearest to you; you must experience privation.” This is how an excessive cult of suffering turns into cruelty.
In the end, we have two types of cruelty, two systems of contempt for human dignity — both brutal, yet rooted in different sources. The “martyrdom-driven” cruelty is stronger than the “hedonistic” one. It has greater endurance and knows how to withstand pain. Its sadism is not spontaneous but carefully planned and sustained. It knows how to manipulate hedonistic cruelty, constantly feeding it new “pleasures,” including Epstein-style ones.
But the endurance of Ukrainians enrages this sado-Putinism. Because no matter how much we hurt, we do not intend to suffer more than they do. We preserve within ourselves the capacity for joy, even despite pain and loss. And this infuriates the Russian collective Putin. He does not know what to do with it.
The language we speak shapes the way we think. In russian language, the word "peace" is the same as the "world". So, for russians to have peace means to have the world. When they say “we want peace" it means the same as “we want the world."
Disabling the regime propaganda hub at TV Imedi is of utmost importance, and we would highly appreciate our partners’ help in this regard. Essentially, the propaganda is the only thing they have left, since no one is intimidated by their crackdowns.
Reality yesterday vs Imedi.
Russian Dreamers claim they scored 54% however there are thousands of people on the streets everyday.
GD wasn’t able to mobilize 10,000 people for propaganda Christmas tree ceremony.
They were unable to buy lunchboxes for police cause NOBODY sells it to them.
https://t.co/1EaOw6ntRI has over 1100 businesses listed. Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, largest pharmacy chain PSP, largest grocery chain SPAR, largest online supplier VeliStore…
Two banks (TBC / BOG) that are cornerstones of the Georgian economy have already created 5,000,000 GEL fund to help injured, detained/arrested, and small businesses.
Small businesses in turn have already boycotted Mayor organized “christmas city”. While in turn VeliStore organized online shopping for these businesses to save them.
Theaters are closed. Actors and actresses are boycotting plays.
Lifeblood of Tbilisi— scooter//delivery companies Wolt and Glovo are publicly pushing for Georgia’s European path.
Finally… Today… Like/Dislike ratio on post regarding @Zourabichvili_S’s speech in @Europarl_EN 22,400 comments absolute most of which say “One and only President of Georgia.”
🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪❤️❤️❤️
On this day 3 years ago, the Belarusian people made it clear to the world that they choose democracy, freedom, and Europe. Georgians stand in full solidarity with 🤍❤️🤍. We believe in our common freedom and prosperous future. Grateful for our cooperation with @Tsihanouskaya
“Why don’t I hear anyone? Why don’t I see anyone?” Life inside Lefortovo, the prison holding the WSJ’s Evan Gershkovich, is engineered to make inmates feel abandoned. https://t.co/TNfx1tX39q
Our friend Evan Gershkovich, the WSJ reporter arrested in Russia, is being held in one of Moscow’s most isolated prisons. Writing to him is really important, but the letters have to be in Russian – send them to [email protected] and we’ll translate them.
A “trusted, dedicated reporter” from the Wall Street Journal could face up to twenty years in a Russian prison for spying. Our report from Moscow on the arrest of Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges. Producer @BBCWillVernon@BBCNews
Breaking: Russia’s main security agency said it had detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, for what it described as espionage https://t.co/5mr3h7uroZ