USA - the country of surprises. I read that an American recently went for a walk in the past and accidentally crushed a small butterfly in the Jurassic period. Returns back, and there they have instead of Hillary Clinton as president, Donald Trump, - writes Roman Arbitman in the column on "Radio Liberty".

This, of course, is fantastic - in Russia such a plot is inconceivable. At us the person can purposely transfer a hundred or other prehistoric insects, fly back to his age and learn that the current president, like the main candidate for future presidents, is called Vladimir Putin. Our traveler may even show a stubbornness: once again dive into the past, shoot a dozen dinosaurs, drive Cheops out of the pyramid, steal Monomakh's hat, flood the Aurora on the eve of the storming of the Hermitage, and then return to November 2017 and discover that both the president and The number one contender is still Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich ... At first I was going to write a column about how in the Russian regions officials are preparing for future elections. But after suffering a few days and reviewing the kilometers of local news, I realized that the column would consist of a single word: "No way". Phrases "presidential elections" in the news are predictably not. First, there was not yet a command from the top to begin. Secondly and in the main, why should the authorities fuss? The most active, dangerous and annoying candidate for the 2018 elections will not be allowed, and the small spoilers, popiarivshis and raising money, will peel after the first round. In today's conditions, specifically preparing for the presidential elections - it's like doubting their outcome and thereby showing disloyalty.

I think, in vain the French academicians refused to consider the projects of perpetual motion. He in fact exists for a long time in Russia: it is a wheel of samsara, which rotates at idle speed. Tomorrow it looks like today, the day before yesterday, the day after tomorrow, and all days for one continuous Groundhog Day. Although no, a mistake, not marmot: every next day it turned out to be not much, but worse than the previous one. Even poorer, shameful, vomiting. As if somewhere upstairs, the rheostats. The light slowly fades, the stink gradually intensifies. Do you remember the recent change of governors? Anyone who saw the faces of the appointees and read their summaries, could only sigh: here it is, negative selection in action. Each next previous word of the previous. Have you already regretted about your former bosses? On this and calculation ... Russian propaganda has long divided the wards into three unequal groups and each vtyuhivaet his. The audience once in the prime-time audiences rasskazney talks about how beautiful the leader and his appointees. This is the darkest and hypnotic-prone population. She believes the ears more than the stomach, and therefore her strength falls, for natural reasons. Group number two, a little snobbish, the same TV (but after midnight) in a half-whisper explains that the king, of course, is great, but among the boyars there are some geeks. The tsar will eventually figure out who should be punished. Therefore, endure, pray, wait and hope - the truth will triumph.

For the group number three, federal TV channels are no longer good enough, but there are social networks, YouTube and a few remaining respectable media (quietly changed hosts). This, the third, with a wink is repeated on different voices: yes, they say, power is not a gift, but what do you want in this country? Karma is like that, and be happy that the authorities have rogues and thieves. Rob Russia? Well, after all, it's not for you personally that they pulled out a hundred rubles! And start rocking the boat - open the portal to hell, and from there will crawl such cthulhu that will not seem a little.

Take, for example, serials about the demons of the revolution. For the public, it's simpler this movie about the fact that all sorts of Leninist blanks, Trotsky, Sverdlovs are a single nosy Berdichev, originally alien to the Russian spirit. And for the clever people the message is completely different: look, they say, all those fanatics, with ideas in mind, believed in some kind of nonsense about equality and brought Russia to hell with Russia. Again you want great upheavals? The first people, the God-bearer, will raise you to pitchfork! You should rejoice that the current leaders - unprincipled and headless - are not equal to you, and that they do not believe in anything except the mansions in Rublyovka, villas in Tuscany and the dough in the offshore ... When I finish my column, Putin has not yet announced his nominating. Perhaps he will make a statement on December 20 - on his professional holiday, Chekist Day.

I believe that even without an "administrative resource," Putin will garner a sufficient number of votes in the first round. The former role of the Father of the Nation, Raising the Country from the Knees, is played. However, the new role, the Guarantor of the Common Evil and the Protector of the Native Hemorrhoids, will allow him to remain in power for another twenty years at least.

Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Join also the TSN group. Blogs on facebook and follow the updates of the section!.