Vladimir Putin hires Boyz II Men to boost the Russian birth rate. Authoritarians know how to have fun

One thing you can’t take away from authoritarian regimes is their sense of pizzazz. Every policy problem is approached with a mix of seriousness and show business, elevating even the most mundane issue in to high art. Therefore it’s no great surprise to read that Vladimir Putin’s solution to Russia’s demographic challenge is to hire 1990s vocal group Boyz II Men to promote increased fertility. Why Boyz II Men? I can only guess that East 17 are busy promoting fallout shelters in North Korea.

The story comes from the Moscow Times, which writes: “The stylish trio of Boyz II Men, the most successful R&B group of all time, is coming to Moscow on Feb 6. The group will perform a selection of their classic and new romantic ballads, hopefully giving Russian men some inspiration ahead of St. Valentine's Day.” The Times insists that the band will be lending their “powerful voices” to Putin’s fertility campaign. Whether or not the Russian kingpin personally got on the phone, tracked down their agent and demanded that they “do the show right here” is pure speculation on the newspaper’s part. It’s a little hard to believe … but it’s also not impossible to imagine.

For Putin has declared war on empty cots with classic Putin bravado. He’s often insisted that having lots of babies is key to Russia’s internal security, to Russia becoming more “influential” on the world state. Why have a great democracy or a flourishing economy when you can simply outnumber everyone else? Putin puts the desirable figure at three babies per household and, in 2007, one province helped things along by declaring a Day of Conception. The idea was that if Russians got the day off work then they might stay at home, put on some Boyz II Men, close the curtains and help bring back the good old days of Soviet hegemony. Women who gave birth 9 months later could win a refrigerator. And they say that romance is dead?

There actually are signs that the campaign is working and that Russia’s birth rate is back up. Given Europe’s own desperate demographic troubles, perhaps the rest of the world should follow Putin’s lead – albeit in a slightly more reserved manner? After all, there are things that Russian politicians can do that just wouldn’t be acceptable here in stuffy old England. Consider Vladimir Putin’s wet’n’wild weekends, for which he has become a poster boy for babooshkas everywhere. He’s been diving, shot a tiger, posed with a bush hat and, most infamously, shown off his pecs at every given opportunity. Phwoar! What if David Cameron was to ape this marketing strategy? Can you imagine him riding through the wilderness of the Cotswolds on his trusted pony, Dobbin? If so, let us pray that the Prime Minister at least keeps his top on.

Original Article
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
Author: Tim Stanley