A couple of days ago, I was sitting in a restaurant with an acquaintance who had started his government career working with Anatoly Chubais and Yegor Gaidar and who is now a high-ranking bureaucrat.
“How could Andrei Illarionov write that it is not true that Gaidar saved Russia from famine?” he protested.
“But it’s true. He didn’t” I answered.
“It might be true, but Illarionov had no right to say it!”
We usually think that the words we speak should convey information, but some words or phrases are more like pheromones, which are “word hormones” of sorts that are used to trigger an appropriate reaction in a member of the same social group.
The ruling elite have a slew of such code words and phrases. One example: “Prime Minister Vladimir Putin saved Russia from falling into the abyss.” We often hear this phrase, but if this is true why are there hundreds of cases of Russian law enforcement officials killing innocent people?
“Putin saved Russia” is not meant to convey information per se. It is a pheromone that is “secreted” to indicate that the speaker supports the Kremlin line.
Here is another: “The United States is forcing its new world order on everyone else.” Russians are not alone in loving this phrase. It is equally popular among South American dictators, African extremists and Islamic terrorists.
Not to be outdone, liberals secrete their own pheromones as well. One of them is: “Gaidar saved the country from famine and civil war.” Upon closer examination, it turns out that this statement is nothing but a series of sounds not backed up by any objective facts. Of the 15 republics that gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed, none — with the exception of the Baltic states — has implemented effective reforms or suffered famine, and only a few have experienced civil wars.
As Illarionov, a former adviser to then-President Putin from 2000 to 2005, rightfully pointed out, Russia did have a civil war of sorts. After all, Chechnya is part of Russia. Gaidar did, in fact, protest against the first Chechen war in 1994-96, but he did not save Russia from it.
At its core, the phrase “Gaidar saved the country from famine and civil war” differs little from “Putin saved the country from falling into the abyss.” It has no meaning other than, “I respect Gaidar.”
Liberals have another code phrase: “Putin blew up Moscow apartment buildings in 1999.” The Wahhabists have been carrying out major terrorist acts on Russian territory for more than 10 years. Not one person who believes that Putin was behind the apartment building explosions has been able to determine conclusively who blew up a market in Vladikavkaz in 1999 or the Nevsky Express train in December.
But there is one major difference between the code phrases spoken by the authorities and the liberals. Of course, the ruling regime needs lies because it has nothing to offer without them. But what I don’t understand is why liberals need to lie. What is the point in making the false claim that “Gaidar saved the country from famine” when he has enough real accomplishments to his credit? And why join the Islamic terrorists by saying that “Putin blew up Moscow apartment buildings”?
Lies never saved anyone. All lies lead only to ruin.
Yulia Latynina hosts a political talk show on Ekho Moskvy radio.