Putin’s New “War on Traitors”

Disturbed by a protest movement that briefly seemed formidable and a slowing economy, Putin turned to a mishmash of nationalism, conservative values, Russian Orthodoxy, and a fear of the corrupting influence of the degenerate West. If his first decade in power had been justified by a growing economy and improved living standards, then his third term would be justified by the grandeur of historical destiny.

.. The need for enemies is obvious: to rally the patriotic masses for the struggle that lies ahead. The idea of a fifth column, Zubov said—he presumes himself to be considered among its members—is to show that those who disagree with the state are not “political opponents in the political arena” but “enemies who naturally have to be isolated; you have to fight them until they are all exhausted.”

.. A new Web site called predatel.net—the word means “traitor”—has recently launched, featuring a list of public figures that the site’s anonymous creators deem to have betrayed Russia, whether by criticizing the annexation of Crimea or by supporting Western sanctions. As the site’s short manifesto puts it, “We believe that Russian citizens who insult our soldiers and who cast doubt on the need to fight neo-Nazis are traitors, no matter whether they are talented journalists, writers, and directors.” The site has a form for users to “suggest a traitor.”