JRL NEWSWATCH: “Anatomy of lies; Russia’s covid-19 outbreak is far worse than the Kremlin admits” – The Economist

Kremlin and River

“Like its Soviet predecessor, Vladimir Putin’s system is steeped in falsehoods.”

“… official numbers reveal less about covid-19 than they do about Russia’s political system … like its Soviet predecessor, … saturated with lies. Russian elections throw up similarly strange graphics. Many Russian athletes … took performance-enhancing drugs … their cheating … covered up … with official connivance. … [One commentator argues that] the problem is … that the Kremlin … often does not have [data] in the first place. … [R]egional bigwigs … file rosy reports … to please the president …. Yet [the government’s] manufactured image is starting to crack. … Putin’s ratings have dropped to historic lows ….The Kremlin’s handling of the crisis reminds some of the cover-up of … Chernobyl … which prompted … Gorbachev … to launch glasnost ….”

Click here for: “Anatomy of lies; Russia’s covid-19 outbreak is far worse than the Kremlin admits; Like its Soviet predecessor, Vladimir Putin’s system is steeped in falsehoods” – The Economist

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