© Reuters / Antonio Bronic
"I can see Russia from here! It's very... big."
If you're interested in Russia, you've surely encountered "Russia Watching." A concept with questionable utility, given far too much credibility on this beat.
As the title implies, "Russia Watchers" don't reside in Russia. Indeed, many have never have done so, at any stage, and some haven't even 'lowered' themselves to visit. Instead,
like Peter Sellers'
Chance the Gardener,
they "like to watch" and are elevated beyond their station by credulous hacks, in a severe case of the blind leading the blind.
And, in a reasonable world, with assiduous and scrupulous media standards, you wouldn't know of their existence and they'd be left to exchange their conspiracy theories with other fantasist busybodies and amateur enthusiasts on Reddit or obscure blogs.
But we don't live on that sort of planet. Sadly, Western coverage of Russia is so dysfunctional that various chancers and charlatans flood the media space debating things like the 'Gerasimov Doctrine' and whether Vladimir Putin has
Aspergers or
Spine Cancer, or is about to
invade the Baltics, or
Belarus, or
Poland. All on the same weekend. In addition to other topics which either don't exist or would require expertise, and access, these spoofers can't boast.
Comment: The noose is tightening around Venezuela in ever possible way. What will Russia and China do about it?