"Every nation gets the government it deserves," observed Joseph de Maistre, the Sardinian kingdom's diplomatic envoy to the Russian empire, some 200 years ago. He was commenting on Russians' deep-seated political apathy — a trait that persists to this day.
Of course, Russia is no longer an absolute monarchy as it was in Maistre's time. Nor is it a communist dictatorship, with the likes of Joseph Stalin using the threat of the Gulag to discourage political expression. But President Vladimir Putin has learned much from the autocratic tactics of his predecessors, whereas the Russian people seem to have learned nothing.
In an opinion poll at the end of 2014, 68 percent of respondents said that Putin should be "Man of the Year." His seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in March, together with his refusal to bow to the Western powers that disputed the move, made him a hero among ordinary Russians.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.