In Putin's Russia, Decline indicates Progress

The Absurd World of Russian Public Opinion [Vladimir Ryzhkov) from the Moscow Times [in English]
"The more casualties and destruction in southern and eastern Ukraine, the more blood is spilt there and the more coffins return for burial in Russia's boundless and snow-laden expanses, the greater grows the support for the authorities' actions in Ukraine and the higher the ratings for President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, the sharp rise in prices and the sharp drop in incomes have not only failed to undermine confidence in the authorities, but have actually convinced more Russians than ever before that the country is on the right path. We are witnessing an unprecedented triumph of Kremlin propaganda."
There is something oddly reminescent of America's Tea Party in the way Russians are viewing their current state.  In the US, I have long thought that, for folks in the Tea Party, they don't beleive they are making real progress unless mass pain and suffering are demonstrably being inflicted.  -- Nuggetsman