Vladimir Putin’s Referendum Today Is Just Papering Over the Cracks of His Rule
Today, Russians vote in a constitutional referendum designed to give Vladimir Putin a fresh burst of legitimacy. His feeble response to the coronavirus pandemic has ruined his “strongman” reputation — and it’s feeding a growing mood of popular discontent.
Putin and his administration are seeking — at all costs — to secure at least a semblance of legitimacy. (Photo by Hannah Peters / Getty Images)
Russia, 2035. A middle-aged woman in a drab nurse’s uniform takes a photo. Today, a five-year-old boy is being adopted.
“Are you happy that you’ll have a mom and dad now?” the woman asks the little boy, as the man now to be his father approaches them. The boy grins as he walks out of the decrepit building with his new father. They step out into the driveway.
“Where is my mom?” the boy asks. The camera turns to a man wearing a dress, waiting for the pair near an expensive car. His behavior is affected, exaggerated — and he’s holding a little dress. The nurses scowl. “Poor boy,” they think, “they’re going to dress him as a woman!” One of the women spits on the driveway and goes back inside.
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