Cheap loyalty
Mar. 28th, 2015 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timeletsThe Wintrobe's model of a tin-pot dictator predicts that in bad times the dictator cannot afford to buy much loyalty (L); therefore, he increases repression (R) (see my earlier post on the subject). Since the beginning of Putin's third term, we've already seen an increase in political repression, including the crank-up of the "Бешенный Принтер", the Navalny trials, etc.
The annexation of Crimea shows that the dictator has another option to deal with economic problems: stimulate production of cheap loyalty by the citizenry. That is, whipping up a genuine patriotic fervor through war propaganda and creating a siege mentality dramatically lowers the price of loyalty. Moreover, instead of buying loyalty "retail", by giving handouts to specific social groups, the dictator can buy it "wholesale" from the proverbial 84% of the population. Here's an example of how the price of loyalty dropped on the Crimea news:
Another interesting example is an implied increase in supply of public goods, as suggested by the dictator's propaganda:
We can see that both the man and the woman in the ad not only enjoy a better sex (as the result of СССР & Крымнаш), but also indicate a lower price for loyalty: "хочу в Крым", instead of, e.g. "хочу в Грецию."
The annexation of Crimea shows that the dictator has another option to deal with economic problems: stimulate production of cheap loyalty by the citizenry. That is, whipping up a genuine patriotic fervor through war propaganda and creating a siege mentality dramatically lowers the price of loyalty. Moreover, instead of buying loyalty "retail", by giving handouts to specific social groups, the dictator can buy it "wholesale" from the proverbial 84% of the population. Here's an example of how the price of loyalty dropped on the Crimea news:
Но если ВВП присоединит Крым, я ему всё прощу - и реформу РАН, и прочие различные сомнительные вещи. Я понимаю, что он после этого вполне может распоясается пуще прежнего. Но ничего, это будет уже завтра. Да и может статься, что и не будет вовсе - на нашей территории иные законы и вообще хаос, непредсказуемость. Стихия, брат! Русская стихия !!
Another interesting example is an implied increase in supply of public goods, as suggested by the dictator's propaganda:
Ролики эти на ТВ крутят немало лет, но с недавних времен образ дядьки изменился. Во-первых, в одном из роликов, где играющие в футбол во дворе мужики разбивают мячом окно в квартире некоей дамы, дядька теперь одет в красный спортивный костюм с надписью "СССР" крупными буквами. Во-вторых, после того, как дядька со словами "я подымусь и вставлю" наносит визит даме (сопровождающийся занятиями сексом), радостно обнимающая его партнерша произносит "а еще хочу в Крым".
We can see that both the man and the woman in the ad not only enjoy a better sex (as the result of СССР & Крымнаш), but also indicate a lower price for loyalty: "хочу в Крым", instead of, e.g. "хочу в Грецию."
