Caution! If you are a Russophile or a Russophobe (or anything in between including crypto-Russophiles and latent Russophobes) this post may cause severe cases of Russophilophilia, Russophobophobia, Russophilophobia, Russophobophilia, etc (separately or any combinations of the above).

My personal attitude towards Russophiles and Russophobes is based on the idea articulated previously on this blog that both phenomena are equal in modulus. There’s a thin line between love and hate, so disillusioned Russophiles often switch camps to join Russia-haters while resenting Russophobes oppressed by the ism privilege or simply suffocating in their own private saccharine submarines start rooting for Team Russia because the grass is always stronger greener on the other side of the fence. The Cold War 2.0 demonization trend (see e.g. my posts: [1], [2], [3]) causes a countertrend of Russia’s idealization and halo effect. Both narratives are closed, rigid and do not really challenge the Western Grand Narrative of Russia (in fact, they constitute it – Yin-Yang-like), using a Procrustean solution of the Russian question aka the Captain Obviov razor (or the antipode of the latter correspondingly).

Obviously, the biggest mystery about Russia is that there’s no ‘Russian mystery’* (by the way, Santa doesn’t exist either) but those who fabricate mysteries for a living sell it to you 24/7 by means of the click-centric MSM of the Brave New Post-World.

Which Pablum™ is your favourite?  Pablum+™ or Pablum–™? Or maybe Pablum±™?

* Note: actually, the ‘Russian mystery’ does exist but only in the heads of Russophiles, Russophobes, Russophilophobes and Russo-…