Karl Marx once said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy but second as farce. Let’s remember some ‘useful idiots’. The Stalin-era USSR welcomed a number of first-class Western intellectuals to whom exemplary collective farms and factories were shown. The foreigners, in their turn, sang their praises to the ‘father of the nations’ and main political actor of that time.
For example, British writer Herbert George Wells wrote about Josef Stalin: “I never met a more fair-minded, sincere and honest man”.
Even more foolishly and irresponsibly did George Bernard Shaw behave: the famous British philosopher, writer and playwright encouraged American workers to emigrate to the Soviet Union. And indeed, he managed to convince several hundreds of people, whose bones might have already crumbled to dust somewhere in the nameless pits in Magadan and Kolyma. French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre criticized Nikita Khrushchev‘s condemnation of the Stalinism saying that one has no right to deprive French workers of their hopes. The examples of stupidity, naivete, unjustified idealism of that time are too many to list. But after all, these people were the intellectuals whose achievements cannot be reduced only to the naive support of the tyrant.
Years pass, but the character type of a useful idiot never leave the stage. Nowadays sophisticated intellectuals are being subtituted by ageing actors who sometimes has drinking problems, or politicians known for organizing events like the bunga-bunga. And the incumbent ‘Stalin’ is wrong, because the former KGB lieutenant colonel is still no comparison to his idol. Eventually, the hymns to Vladimir Putin sung by Gérard Depardieu, Steven Seagal or Silvio Berlusconi may be straightaway considered as farce – they are published on the last pages of tabloids. What is more, it is difficult to talk about the idealism of Depardieu who flees the country because he is unwilling to pay taxes.
Read also: ‘Des idées fatales’: How Lukashenka taught Depardieu scything (funny video)
In this context, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, known for his cold-eyed judgment, decided to use ‘useful idiot’ Depardieu for a completely practical task – in addition to purepropaganda – and drew him into mowing his meadow. It is interesting what will happen if Steven Seagal comes to Minsk. Lukashenka might well ask him to present some martial arts techniques in Minsk State circus or show a few stunts being on a MAZ truck. Another friend of the Belarusian President, Emir Kusturica, could film it and do professional advertising of Minsk Automobile Plant. I would not be surprised – Lukashenka is a very practical man.
Maxim Chyhunka/MS
