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Deputy Speaker of Russian State Duma Wants to Stop Internet Users From Mocking Patriotism

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The deputy speaker of the State Duma wants to stop Russian Internet users from mocking patriotic values.

As reported by the TASS news agency, Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy complained on Friday that “it’s become hip” for Internet users to smirk at patriotic values, pointing out that online communities have already generated demeaning terms like “krymnashist,” “vatnik,” “kolorad,” and so on, to insult Russians who embrace the Kremlin’s internationally contentious policies, such as the annexation of Crimea.

“Spiritual bonds, patriotism, and remembering the heroism of the people are not Internet memes, and they’re not an excuse for sarcasm and hypocritical sneering. We’re talking about the basic components of our national consciousness and the state system,” Tolstoy told journalists, arguing that “it’s been tried more than once to destroy and shatter Russia from the inside.”

According to the deputy speaker, Russia must watch out for efforts to “discredit our faith, spirituality, family values, and love for the Motherland.”

Tolstoy then concluded his remarks by repeating a meme popular among Russian patriots, saying, “Our country really can’t be beaten, and we should be proud of it.”

Tolstoy did not specify — specifically or vaguely — how wants to ban “anti-patriotic” sarcasm on the Internet.

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