{"id":29315,"date":"2017-02-08T17:23:46","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T01:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=29315"},"modified":"2017-02-08T17:23:46","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T01:23:46","slug":"russia-talking-war-times-economic-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=29315","title":{"rendered":"Russia: Talking war in times of economic crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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War-themed rhetoric has helped the Russian government control crisis-related discontent, but it could backfire.<\/em><\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
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By\u00a0Mariya Petkova<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n

Mariya Petkova is a Bulgarian journalist covering the Middle East, the Balkans <\/span>and Eastern Europe.<\/span><\/h1>\n
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When the sanctions hit Russia<\/a> in 2014 and Moscow responded with a trade boycott, Irina found it funny that people started obsessing about the disappearance of gourmet cheese from stores.<\/p>\n

The 32-year-old education researcher, who asked that only her first name be used, says she didn’t feel the effect of the sanctions<\/a>\u00a0either in her everyday <\/span>life, or in her cheese-buying habits.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same year, as oil prices faced a dramatic fall, the rouble collapsed and an economic crisis hit Russia with full force.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being a member of the Moscow middle class, Irina felt shielded from its effects as well, although she says she did have to limit her <\/span>travelling abroad and cut down on luxury items.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as much as prognoses for the Russian economy have been pessimistic, Irina says she is not anxious about her future financial security. What she finds much more worrying is the markedly aggressive turn of government rhetoric which has accompanied the crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I was shocked to see the extent of ‘militarisation’ of the news. […] It is as if they are trying to prepare the country for war.” she says. “I think this aspect of the crisis is the most dangerous one.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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