Krylov’s THE GNAT AND THE SHEPHERD*
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Caption: “Wrongfully detained” WSJ Journalist Evan Gershkovich.
HAVING confided his sheep to the care of his dogs, a Shepherd went to sleep in the shade. Remarking that, a snake glided towards him from under the bushes, brandishing its forked tongue.
The Shepherd would have passed away from the world, had not a Gnat taken pity on him, and stung him with all its might.
Roused from his slumber, the Shepherd killed the snake.
But first while half awake and half asleep, he hit the Gnat such a slap that the poor thing was utterly done for.
There is no lack of examples of this. If the weak, even with the best intentions, try to open the eyes of the strong, you may expect that they will meet with the same fate as the Gnat.
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Russia’s Putin likely flipped his lid when told of Georgi Kanchev and Evan Gershkovich’s Wall Street Journal article
“Russia’s Economy Is Starting to Come Undone”.
I read it. It was well written and well sourced. It provides insightful evidence that indeed the Russian economy is under severe stress largely due to Putin’s blunders in Ukraine.
Now, Krylov’s Shepherd is not evil; he reacts when bitten and kills the gnat.
The snake, a not unusual representation of Evil, also dies thanks to the Gnat’s warning to the Shepherd.
So, how does Putin come into this? Well, one part of objective journalism is to “open the eyes of the strong”. Doing so, the journalist is at risk, just like the Gnat.
It is said, “the job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”.
Journalist Evan Gershkovich was doing his job.
We hope that Russia will do what is right for Mr. Gershkovich and for the men, women and children of Ukraine.
*Source: Krilof and his fables, by Krylov, Ivan Andreevich, 1768-1844; Ralston, William Ralston Shedden, 1828-1889. Tr. London, 1869
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© Copyright commentary by John Lubans 2023