Education, the Economy, and Repression

Today I want to highlight a few issues with Russian propaganda, the economy and repression of opposition parties. Mind you, all three are at the heart of control in an authoritarian space. They also explain how countries can enter into a forever war.

So, first, let’s start with education. Like many countries, we are an exception here. This doesn’t make our education better or freer; it doesn’t. Russia has national textbooks that can be updated and issued to children yearly.

I remember the distribution of these nationally produced books in Mexico City. It would not surprise me if the Russian equivalent were produced in newsprint. It is one way to keep the cost down.

Anyhow, this caught my attention. Ours sometimes had a letter from whoever was the education secretary, wishing all of us a good and productive school year. We did not care. I put this in here as some context of a likely response by first graders, even in a highly propagandized environment:

Putin’s address may appear on the first page of new primers for first-graders

Russian schools will abandon the Azbuka textbooks and begin teaching reading again using the Bukvar, the first page of which may feature an address from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The layout of the Bukvar was presented at a meeting of the…