That is to be achieved, this people believes, by “the seizure of the territory of others, genocides and other ‘charming things.’” And it is a reflection of the coming together of “two lonely things: the sick Russian soul and the gray six-year term with suitcases” that looms before Russia now.
That is how “’Putinism’ was born. It could have had another name – Vladimir Vladimirovich simply turned up at the right time with his suitcases – but it couldn’t have had a different essence.” And that carries with it an important challenge, one that today’s opposition must think about.
And that challenge is this: the opposition needs to be asking itself not what it will “do with Putin or after Putin” but rather “how it will cure this ill (and now ever more seriously so) Russian soul.” Only if it does that does it and Russia have a chance to recover from Putinism whether Putin is around or not.