He makes you feel that
you are once more in the land of official insolence, and that, whatever you are
collectively, you are nothing personally.
William Dean Howells - Their Wedding Journey (1872)
Insolent
individuals we may escape, avoid, ignore or deal with in any number of ways. Official insolence though, insolence as a political
instrument, as an indicator of inescapable power - that kind of insolence is
not so easily avoided. It is corrosive too, perhaps more insidiously corrosive than we ever
imagine.
Assuming it was officially sanctioned, the recent Russian poisoning incident seems to be an example of official insolence. It highlights a difference between Russia and the West which will be noted by millions.
Or maybe that is a reason to be cautious when assuming that this was sanctioned by the Russian government. Clumsy insolence does not seem to be one of Vladimir Putin's characteristics.
Assuming it was officially sanctioned, the recent Russian poisoning incident seems to be an example of official insolence. It highlights a difference between Russia and the West which will be noted by millions.
Or maybe that is a reason to be cautious when assuming that this was sanctioned by the Russian government. Clumsy insolence does not seem to be one of Vladimir Putin's characteristics.
2 comments:
True. We don't have those levels of official insolence. Our UK form is more about misinformation, pretence, and generally treating the country like fools.
Sam - a very British type of insolence perhaps.
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