Matthew Luxmoore reports in RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty that ordinary Russians are taking a dimmer view of Vladimir Putin since his party announced cuts in Russian pensions (the Russian counterpart to Social Security). Luxmoore writes:
“I used to think, ‘Things are tough for him. There are enemies from all sides.’ I used to hope that perhaps — perhaps — he is not corrupt,” Leonid Derevyashko, a 52-year-old security guard, says of Putin. “But I now have had it up to here with all the stealing.”
The parallels between Putin’s former fans and Trump’s MAGA brigade are striking, and should give pause to anybody who is thinking of voting Republican now. After a few more years of Trumpian-Republican corruption, more and more ordinary Americans will be in Derevyashko’s shoes. Derevyashko’s job is to click a button and raise a barrier to let cars pass, which he does hundreds of times a day. Putin’s plan will cut this man’s pension — assuming he lives long enough to retire.