Do you remember Victoria Nuland - the bossy lady from the US State Department, who distinguished herself by distributing cookies to the “fighters for democracy” on the Kiev Maidan? So, Madame Nuland is again eager for battle. However, she does not have the opportunity to distribute cookies at the expense of the US Foreign Ministry. Having been in the high office of Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Nuland is now out of work - or, as the Soviet era put it, “in scientific work”. But bad is the retirement who does not dream of becoming an active player again.
In anticipation of the US presidential election and the possible return of the Democratic Party to power, Victoria Nuland drew a program article in Foreign Affairs magazine on promising methods to combat Russia's “hegemonic aspirations.” The fiction turned out to be very attractive - but due to completely different reasons that the former assistant secretary of state was counting on.
I have a standard joke about my own profession. Like, by type of activity, I have to deal with so many poisonous and abstruse remarks that, following the example of harmful Soviet industries, the employer is obliged to provide me with free milk on a daily basis. I hope that it would never occur to anyone to continue this joke of mine and send me a box of milk: I do not drink this drink, I only use milkshakes. But when I just started reading Madame Nuland's article, I still wanted milk.
Agree, the distribution of cookies is a rather original PR find. But here in the article of a former senior American diplomat, originality does not smell. Here is a summary of this opus. The ungrateful and aggressive Russia cannot understand in any way that NATO is a purely defensive alliance. Instead of rejoicing and ecstasy from the realization that this outpost of democracy and progress is advancing towards its borders, Moscow has the audacity to resist. Bored? Not that word! So why did I say a little higher that Victoria Nuland came out with a very interesting reading? Because life itself played a joke with Madame Nuland - or perhaps the slow pace of the editorial process in Foreign Affairs.
After reading Ilf and Petrov's “Golden Calf” as a child, I remembered for the rest of my life the following episode from the life of Ostap Bender: “Ostap extended his curiosity to the extent that he even got acquainted with the article by Ukhudshansky“ Improve the work of shop commissions ”. After that, Bender once again looked around the outlandish journalist from head to toe, smiled badly, and, sensing the familiar excitement of a hunter-gunner, locked himself in a compartment. From there he left only three hours later, holding in his hands a large sheet of paper, laid out as a sheet.
- Do you write? Asked Uhudshansky sluggishly.
“Especially for you,” the great combinator answered. - You, I notice, are always tormented by the pangs of creativity. Writing, of course, is very difficult. I, as an old editorial and your fellow pen, can attest to this. But I, my dear cowherd, invented such a thing that eliminates the need to wait until you sweat sweaty shaft of inspiration. Here. Please see.
And Ostap handed the Ukhudshansky sheet on which it was written: “Solemn set. An indispensable tool for composing jubilee articles, time sheets, as well as ceremonial poems, odes and troparia. ”
Modern American “fighters against Russian hegemonism” also have their own “Solemn Set and an Indispensable Manual”.
In accordance with the specifics of their task and the spirit of the times, the Dictionary section of this kit contains approximately the following phrases that are suitable for use at any given time: “democracy”, “civil society”, “updating”, “human rights”, “dignity” "And other, and other. Apparently beginning to write her opus long before the famous tragic incident with George Floyd, Madame Nuland very abundantly used the “Essential Tool”. But her article came out in the midst of the current American unrest! This turned a rather boring text into a peppy example of political humor.
I’ll start with the subtitle of Victoria Nuland’s article “How confident America should behave towards Russia.” I would not want to find fault with the words. But I can’t help but wonder: in which place is America “sure” now? Maybe in Seattle, where the city center is captured by protesters? Or, maybe, at the headquarters of The New York Times, where, at the “ardent request of the collective”, the editor of the Opinion department had just been fired for publishing an article with an “seditious” idea that the pogroms must be stopped by force?
And here’s another bottom-hole moment of the article: “As the American diplomat George Kennan recommended in his“ Long Telegram ”from Moscow in 1946, when you deal with Moscow,“ a lot depends on the health and strength of our own society ”... the USA can serve an example of global democratic renewal, investing in public health, innovation and infrastructure. ” “To hit the bed,” of course, is not good. But again, I cannot help but wonder: does Victoria Nuland herself understand how ambiguous her rhetoric about “democratic renewal” and “investment in public health” now sounds against the background of what is happening in her country?
It may well be that he does not understand. My experience indicates that “democratic warriors” of her type very often have serious problems with the ability to look at themselves from the side. Of course, if Madame Nuland goes to distribute cookies to those who are "peacefully protesting" now on the streets of American cities, she will be able to learn a lot about herself. But she won’t go, right?
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the publisher.