Many countries present a number of different faces to the world, but Russia goes them all one better. Its government is a Janus whose faces are so at odds they might come from separate species.
One of these faces got a lot of airtime this week. First, General Viktor Zolotov, head of Russia’s National Guard, published the video of his out-of-control rant against anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny, who had accused him of involvement in corrupt procurement practices. Zolotov runs an armed force of 340,000, which includes Russia’s elite riot police forces, and Navalny is serving 30 days in prison for organizing an unsanctioned rally. Yet the general challenged the activist to a duel — “in the ring, on a tatami, anywhere.”
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