Think again.
I just went to the English version of the Russian President's website in the hope of finding a fully translated version of the Putin-Erdogan press conference. Check out what I really did find:
That's right. Chess.
Quick look at the Russian Foreign Ministry's English page:
Apparently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thinks of November 22nd as "current news".
Now, I am hardly a big admirer of Stalin, but when I see how these people work I cannot but think about the fact that in Stalin's times they would have been shot as saboteurs...
I can hear some of you - anti-state libertarians - thinking that the state just cannot get it right. You think it is only the state? Ha! Check out Gazprom's page today:
Yup. That is this multi-billion dollar mega-giant's idea of "information". My local convenience store can do better...
There are a lot of people out there who are under impression that Russia is cornered, losing this Cold War v2 against the Empire, that the Russian economy is about to tank, that the sanctions are having a dramatic effect, etc. In part, this is due to exposure to the Idiot-Tube (which many in Russia call the Zombo-box, the box to make zombies) and the rest of the MSM, but this is only part of the explanation. The main culprit is the Russian state and media - including RT - who just don't seem to understand even the basics of PR such as:
1) When an important event happens, make darn sure that you provide a simultaneous translation into all major languages, then post the recorded video, and provide a transcript.
2) Make sure that good infographics, photos, footage, presentations are available to the press and the blogosphere.
3) Provide contact information to individuals who would reply to questions, help arrange interviews, provide background information, etc.
But no, not in Russia. Apparently in Russia every success has to be hidden as it it was some truly shameful event.
I think that the Poroshenko regime has (yet again) disgraced itself by placing foreigners in ministerial positions. And yet, when I see how absolutely and terminally incompetent Russians are in public information I wish they stopped trying themselves and hired an American PR firm. Honestly, look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and tell me that any group of US high school kids could not do way, way better?!
The sad reality is that to try to honestly 'cover' Russian political developments from abroad is an extremely frustrating and disappointing exercise. You get exactly *ZERO* help from the very people who should be most interested in your efforts. Thank God for the Russian blogosphere which is full of dedicated and talented people (Colonel Cassad, Anna-news, Kazzura, South Front, Anti-Maidan and many, many others), who do, on their free time, what highly paid professionals are paid to do in the West.
But yeah, Russia will eventually prevail and it will eventually become obvious to everybody that the EU cannot take on Russia and the AngloZionist Empire cannot take on the "Russia+China combo". Heck, with time people will even come to realize that Russia and China have forged a strategic alliance which make them more powerful than the US/EU/NATO combined. But I sure hope that Putin will find the time to fire all the imbeciles who are in charge of Russian public information and replace them with a new generation of younger Russian who understand what has to be done, and how that should be done. Either that, or hire Americans.
The Saker