The sad truth is that, in Russia, history does indeed repeat itself, but, in a twist on Karl Marx’s dictum, as tragedy and farce at once. Power in Russia is a product of inertia and personal willfulness, and a generally apathetic public has traditionally surrendered to the country’s paradox of tyranny: a weak state believes that it can function as a strong state by depriving citizens of basic liberties and the ability to make their own decisions.