Warm southerly winds blew over the Swallow's Nest hanging over the abyss. Far below, swinging waves crashed into hundreds of thousands of splashes with a running start on the rocks. The Black Sea, illuminated by the brilliance of the sun leaving the horizon, was not black at all. Golden rays of the sunset ran over the waves, overcoming tens of kilometers, illuminating it all the way to the coast. Seagulls were screaming in alarm over the Swallow's Nest. In the half-open window, the silhouettes of four men were visible …
The TV king Ivan Ivanovich, the alcohol tycoon Vasily Vasilyevich, the computer genius Alex Gotman and the football puppeteer Nikolai Nikolaevich were talking at the meal.
- So, constantly letters from viewers come to television, asking to shoot some patriotic movie or a series of programs about the annexation of Crimea, they say, a very important event, not covered in the media space … and other nonsense. We no longer have the strength to explain to our editors that we should be guided not by the demands of the rabble, but by the opinion of the experienced bosses, who know better what is enough and what is lacking in modern TV viewers. However, gentlemen, whatever you say, but still the Russian people are very close-knit and a kind of … ahem … a folk idea, or something, it still has, - Ivan Ivanovich began the conversation.
“Well, so we must corrupt him, turning him into a resigned herd,” Alex said, and his eyes flashed ominously.
- Here you are young people, if only you want to break and destroy, - Vasily Vasilyevich noted condemningly, - but you can use this idea of theirs in our interests, neatly turning it from “popular” to “national”, and from “national” to “international etc.
- I don’t understand what is the difference - “national” or “national”? - Alex asked in surprise.
- You are still young, our dear friend, but with time you will begin to understand such nuances, - Vasily Vasilyevich said in a mentoring tone. - In the meantime, you better listen to simpler things. Patriotism, in fact, is a very convenient thing, and, if put in the direction we need, it will be a good lever for managing this herd. By the way, we are already quite good at manipulating individual patriotic impulses.
- That is, that is, - Ivan Ivanovich confirmed. - I remember that I once asserted the script of the Interns, and there was a very good manipulation in one episode. In general, there one African-American argued with a doctor in a hospital - this idiot, Lobanov - which of them is more Russian. And while they were arguing, one episodic character said the wonderful phrase: “What are you arguing? Whoever drinks more is Russian!"
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- Ivan Ivanovich, I give a standing ovation. This is aerobatics. So with the help of patriotic feelings to promote to the masses the idea of "the Russians always drank" is the highest skill, - praised his colleague Vasily Vasilyevich.
- And then! It's not for nothing that we eat our bread. The fact is that not everyone buys into manipulations in the style of "who does not drink is not a man". Because it's too hackneyed dogma. But to put pressure on patriotism, instilling false concepts about the alleged history and traditions of the Russian people, it works very well,”Ivan Ivanovich said proudly.
- Yes, these "Interns" are very good at promoting the alcoholization of society. And most importantly, professional doctors poison themselves, that is, those who have some authority in matters of health. Subconsciously, each viewer gets the installation “since they regularly use it, it’s definitely safe, and I can too,” noted Vasily Vasilyevich.
- Yes. I remember there was another good episode when two characters decided to rent an apartment together, and one began to carry alcohol into the house every day, and the second told him: “We drink no more than three times a week, otherwise I’ll drink here with you.” Notice how subtle the implementation of the concept of "moderate drinking" is. Say, we drink every day - we'll get drunk, and three times a week is the norm, ” Ivan Ivanovich added, peeling an orange from the peel.
- In general, gentlemen, patriotism is a good topic. For example, with football, and in general with sports, we are promoting this simply "with a bang." Thus, any concept, even the most sensible, can be masterfully replaced in the mass consciousness with a destructive one. And most importantly, no one will even notice. How successfully we directed the patriotic impulses of society to a sports psychosis beneficial to us. Now patriotism is not about doing something useful for society, but about screaming in the football stands or watching in the evenings how two trained hamsters beat off each other's brains in the ring,”Nikolai Nikolayevich entered into the conversation.
- "To defend the honor of the Motherland" - they call it that, without even noticing that the honor of the Motherland is more and more often defended for them by foreigners, - Vasily Vasilyevich laughed.
- As if someone is encroaching on this honor. And in general, this honor now depends on who kicks more balls, or who will hit someone stronger in the ring on the head. Or you can defend the honor of the Motherland under a neutral flag - the patrioluchs eat everything, - added Nikolai Nikolaevich, pleased.
- Very subtly noticed. We have brainwashed them so much that they think that wallowing on the day off with a beer on the couch, the mother of football players, is a manifestation of consciousness and patriotism,”Ivan Ivanovich said, deftly throwing a slice of orange into his mouth.
- In addition, we are great at exploiting this topic with interethnic confrontation: we constantly stir up hatred of other nations. And while they are fighting among themselves, they do not notice how we just make money with them, - Alex laughed.
- You, Alex, should also exploit the theme of patriotism in computer games to the full. Because it is very beneficial. We need to make more games on the theme of World War II, for example, - Ivan Ivanovich advised his colleague.
- Yes, we have long been using this link to historical events, and not only to the theme of World War II. The same "Stalker" remember how well you went. People really enjoyed walking virtually through the ruins of their own country. In addition, we have been sponsoring the Computer Sports Federation for many years. Just think: stunted bespectacled people who can only click the mouse, killing virtual monsters, will now be professional athletes who also defend the honor of the Motherland, - Alex reported on his successes and reached for apples.
- Well, you turned it down, our dear IT specialist. Still, most are aware of the harmfulness of gambling addiction, and it will be very difficult to push it through,”Ivan Ivanovich said skeptically.
- Igromania is no longer a disease, but the most popular magazine devoted to the gaming industry. We named it that way to change the meaning of this concept. Now, those who are looking for information on the dangers of games and gambling addiction on the same Internet, much more often come across our articles on how modern games develop reaction, ingenuity and team spirit. Team spirit for collective degradation,”the computer tycoon laughed.
- Bravo, Alex, I admire you! - responded Vasily Vasilievich. - Cunningly you came up with a substitution of concepts, and I used to consider Nezavisimaya Gazeta the leader in this matter. Then I will share our unique experience: we have come up with patriotic names for alcohol and cigarettes. For example, cigarettes "Peter I", "Russian Style", "Nasha Prima", cigarettes "Belomorkanal". And it's the same story with beer: Klinskoe, Volzhanin, Sibirskaya Korona, Nevskoe, Baltika, Zhigulevskoe, Yarpivo, Polar Bear. Such beautiful, poetic and patriotic names for alcoholic poison simply deprive consumers of critical thinking about what they are buying. Subconsciously, such soulful Russian names evoke a false sense of patriotism and the feeling that you are, as it were, joining Russian culture. I have a whole staff of professional psychologists, I pay them huge sums of money to work on this.
- Yes, you, I see, have a serious case. Psychologists also work on my staff, or rather psychiologists. They think over the games to the smallest detail, turning gamers into experimental hamsters who only want to press buttons to receive sugar in the form of illusory victories and achievements. But we are still not making enough use of the topic of patriotism. We should try, on your advice, to introduce brands with traditional Russian names,”Alex said thoughtfully.
“We have adopted the theme of“patriotic drinking”from our Ukrainian colleagues. There, the local aborigines were taught for many years that, they say, the Zaporozhye Cossacks were drunkards and even before the battle got drunk all the time, and riveted vodka with “Cossack” names: “Cossack Council”, “Zaporozhye Sich” and so on. The advertisement was also played with slogans in the style of “Awaken the Cossack in yourself”. And they are in fact. And, most importantly, just something like: willpower, fearlessness, nobility, personal qualities do not need to be developed, physical strength and endurance - too. In general, there is no need to improve. All you have to do is go buy vodka in order to become a Cossack. Young people are very fond of this. Especially patriotic, - Vasily Vasilyevich told colleagues.
- By the way, yes, we have successfully redirected this entire stream of lovers of Cossack culture. Previously, they went to the Cossack "Spas" to study, and now they drag vodka from the shelves in the supermarket. True, not all. There are also those who ride in their harem pants in gyms. But it won't be long. We will soon convince them that the one who does not drink is not a Cossack at all, because the Cossacks are a crowd of drunken robbers. In general, we will work with history as always: we will correct the textbooks, we will conduct additional education courses for teachers, and so on. It is now very convenient to practice herd management and livestock reduction technologies in these experimental territories, - added Ivan Ivanovich.
- Yes, gentlemen. I have to admit that you are right. There is no point in fighting patriotic sentiments. You can use them to your advantage. And, most importantly, everyone will be happy. These cattle will think that they are true patriots, that they respect the “culture of grandfathers” and so on. And they will not even notice that this "culture of grandfathers" will be created by us and for our business interests, - Alex finished his thought.
The last ray of the outgoing sun disappeared over the horizon, and the twilight of a moonlit summer night hung over the "Swallow's Nest" …