Russian passive-aggressive language
As Vitaly Portnikov noted, language to some extent determines your thinking, and modern Russian language is an excellent example for that observation. If you listen to how Russian officials communicate, which is then acquired by those lower on the food chain, you will notice several intriguing language practices which not only impose particular meaning, but also imply particular response – or lack thereof.
If you listen to Russian officials explaining a shocking example of incompetence or negligence, you will almost certainly hear one of these phrases:
Так сложились обстоятельства, “it's just the way things are” but in Russian it has even more peculiar formulation, which could be literally translated as “it's how things/factors aligned”. Both stand out by a very strongly passive and impersonal voice, implying no personal responsibility of anyone whatsoever. The first one sounds almost as if “planets aligned” in such a way that, for example, a neglected flood embankment had burst causing flood, but no mortals of this world could have done anything about it – because “so they aligned”, these unspecified factors or things. The other phrase here is Так получилось, meaning “it's just so happened”, but it's so primitive in its dismissal of any personal responsibility that it might work for a 5 year old.
Было принято решение, “a decision was made” infuriating in its entirely impersonate voice – a decision was made, but by whom, why, when? This phrasing is used when officials want to simply communicate the new reality to the serfs without pointing fingers at the decision maker. “A decision was made to raise pension age”, and that's it. Asking who exactly made this decision is politically incorrect and implies you would like to demand personal responsibility for the decision, or even some rationale.
Вам объяснили, “it was explained to you”, usually spoken in an arrogant tone, drawing out the words in a typical manner of Russian official speak. The phrase screams “do not ask questions or else”.
And there's my favourite И что, убьёте меня?!, “and what, you're going to kill me?!”, spoken in ironic and challenging tone in response to a complaint for some obvious mistake or negligence. Expanded it means, “yes, I've made a mistake and so what? I'm obviously not going to apologise and if you want the mistake fixed before end of year, better bring me a box of chocolates”.
All of these phrases, commonly used not only by officials but post office clerks, shop keepers and literally anyone in perceived position of power, relay the core message that every member of the Russian society should memorise and frequently recall: asking questions or complaining imply you are not a politically conscious part of the collective, because being the part of the collective means not sticking your nose out of the crowd and not asking any questions.
In simpler words, when a Russian says “it was decided” or “it was explained to you”, that's a kind of desperate reference to an abstract higher entity, the Collective, and abandons any pretences of personal identity, personal thinking and especially personal responsibility for their actions. The Collective “decided”, “explained” and did, whatever moronic or atrocious action we're talking about. “It just so happened”, nothing to see here.
—
Paweł Krawczyk https://krvtz.net/
Fediverse @kravietz@agora.echelon.pl