Friday, April 28, 2017

Like CPSU of Old, Putin’s United Russia Issues Slogans for May Day Parades



Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 28 – Russians and others of a certain age will recall when one of the most frequently mined sources of information about the intentions of the Kremlin in Soviet times were the slogans that the Communist Party issued in advance of the May Day holiday.  Now, Putin’s United Russia Party is doing the same thing – and perhaps the slogans will be put to similar use.

            Moscow’s independent television channel, Dozhd, says that the central executive committee of United Russia has sent a list of 36 slogans to its regional activists. The network has a copy and says that its contacts in the party have confirmed the list and said it was approved already on April 21 (tvrain.ru/news/dalnij_vostok-433521/).

            It provides the following selection:

·         “Putin is for the People. He is boldly leading Russia to success!”

·         “A strong president for a great country!”

·         “Sanctions Don’t Frighten a United Nation!”

·         “As long as we are united, we cannot be defeated!”

·         “Our children: Free. Smart. Patriotic.”

·         “The May Decrees – What has been said has been done.”

·         “For the young, work! For the elderly, concern!”

·         “The people are for a worthy minimum wage!”

·         “Bad Roads to the Dustbin of History!”

·         “Let us free teachers from paper slavery!”

·         “I will go to the Far East for my hectar of land! I will do so before I’m too old!”

The network reported that there were no slogans about the government or the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, although it pointed out that there was one devoted to the struggle against corruption -- “Praise for the honest; jail for the corrupt!” – which some might conclude applies.

One regional party official complained that some of the slogans weren’t specific enough for their audiences, but officials at the central office said that they had compiled the list on the basis of submissions from the regions.

All this suggests that many may once again be reading the party slogans like tea leaves about the future.

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