Post AcrVzO7pNkLPpVdTd2 by pergus@mastodon.nu
 (DIR) More posts by pergus@mastodon.nu
 (DIR) Post #AcrSeX4Ae21pcGHxs8 by kravietz@agora.echelon.pl
       2023-12-16T08:23:11.236863Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       An interesting #Russia cultural reference: an opposition film critic and journalist Andrey Dolin describes how the new popular criminal TV series prepares Russians, especially the youth, for the new morality:> What doubt is there that Putin is a shark? And that a shark's word is kept only when they give it to other sharks (and not even always that) but in no case you'd obliged to keep it to the suckers. And when we see how Putin and the leadership say one thing, and then a week later another, absolutely opposite thing — how can this be? But you can do it with suckers — this logic is instantly recognisable.This is 100% gang logic and system of values: you keep your word to your equals, but you're not obliged to keep your word to subhumans. In terms of international relations, Putin likely considers leaders like Xi Jinping and Erdogan as as equals but EU or US leaders he likely considers weak, and thus "suckers". Ukraine and its leaders he likely doesn't consider humans at all (in the tribal sense), which explains why Russia didn't bother to fulfill even a tiny bit of Minsk Agreements. Same applies to Russian citizens, especially those begging authorities on their knees. Prigozhin he likely considered "shark", but killing your peer is a normal thing in these circles, if he threatens your interests.The fact that the series is produced and gains popularity now is indicative. Putin to some extent rejected the idea of international law already in 2000's. The idea of formal law has been largely eroded inside Russia since 2010's and gradually turned into a repressive instrument that is applied at all its severity against "suckers", but not at all against those who belong to your circle.It has been since replaced by fluid and highly contextual "ponyatya" (понятия; literally "concepts", but meaning "the rules"), which  for example dictate what and who can be publicly criticized today in Russia. Misunderstanding of these "rules" is what got Girkin in jail, for example.For the last decade Putin many times alluded for a new security architecture for Europe, but not in terms of a new international agreement, but a private deal ("сделка") between leaders powerful enough ("adults") to keep their word regardless of any formal agreements. That's once again transposition of the gang logic into the world of international relations. And may sound tempting as a simple, clear, "black and white" solution... except half of the actual history of juvenile and organized crime in Russia is made of violent wars between "patsans" who decided not to keep their word this time.  You don't want the same system on global level.What Putin proposes is essentially return to some 14th century level of international relations. Not surprising, as many of his values seem to be idealized pictures of these times.I had a bit of a struggle with the terminology: Dolin quotes the Russian 1990's criminal jargon used in the movie. I'm sure you can find suitable words even in jargon used in your town... but it will be meaningful only there. "Shark" and "sucker" therefore sound to me like the most intuitively understandable due to their biological associations.Literally, the series title is "Boy's word. Blood on asphalt". But "boy" is a rather bland translation of the original word "patsan" (пацан), which in modern Russian is simply a synonym for young man. But it originates from Odessa criminal jargon, where it arrived from Yiddish "pots" (поц), literally meaning "penis". Which form also somehow found its way into English jargon as "putz".The world, as seen by the series' main figures, is composed of "patsans" (real men) and "chushpans" ("чушпан"; those, who can be exploited and abused). The second word, originating from juvenile work camps in Siberia (SibLag) probably originates from some Middle Easter languages. It means someone who "doesn't know the life", in a tribal sense — a stranger, who doesn't know your rules and can be exploited.Andrey Dolin: https://t.me/stranaua/135651
       
 (DIR) Post #AcrUQn5yS5IpBRhvl2 by polezaivsani@chaos.social
       2023-12-16T08:41:48Z
       
       1 likes, 1 repeats
       
       @kravietz Here's a nice show[1] on Svoboda portraying the structure of power in modern Russia as being rooted in the criminal oral tradition. Rule of law is a veil where as the real structure is similar to the rule of the strongest.It mentions, couple intriguing books [2][3].1: https://www.svoboda.org/live/audio/81/325498502: Bálint Magyar, Post-Communist Mafia State: The Case of Hungary3: Svetlana Stephenson, Gangs of Russia: From the Streets to the Corridors of Power
       
 (DIR) Post #AcrUXeMfJMBK8HmlHM by pergus@mastodon.nu
       2023-12-16T08:38:52Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @kravietz Very interesting! I would be interested in reading more about Dolin’s ideas. Can you suggest sources? I know Russian.
       
 (DIR) Post #AcrVGcnJzm5KIJhPto by kravietz@agora.echelon.pl
       2023-12-16T08:52:29.694927Z
       
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       @pergusDolin is just a cinema critic, on the TV interview he speaks of these concepts like it's a popular knowledge in Russia (I linked it at the bottom).The "Patsan's word" series is based on a book about the juvenile criminal underground in Kazan.https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BB%...The topic of criminal background of Putin is very broad, I think the public dispute on this subject started well in 1990's with investigation by Marina Salye:https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B0%...All these topics were later carefully erased from public debate after Putin came to power. Everyone knows that, but according to "ponyatya" nobody is supposed to discuss that 😉 This past occasionally breaks through to the surface when Putin uses criminal jargon in his statements or jokes.Also see this valuable comment from Vasilii who gives some more pointers.https://chaos.social/@polezaivsani/11158920...
       
 (DIR) Post #AcrVWsxRfV7R3cBjcm by elCelio@mastodon.uno
       2023-12-16T08:26:11Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @kravietz so it seems russia is going from being a mafia state to a gang state
       
 (DIR) Post #AcrVzO7pNkLPpVdTd2 by pergus@mastodon.nu
       2023-12-16T08:59:46Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @polezaivsani @kravietz Cheers!
       
 (DIR) Post #Acrkvk818Em2E1RblI by polezaivsani@chaos.social
       2023-12-16T11:20:35Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @kravietz @pergusAlso check out the original historical book [1] the tv series is based on. I've heard it getting favorable mentions.1: Роберт Гараев, Слово пацана. Криминальный Татарстан 1970–2010-х