The Fight for America
Writer and politician Eduard Limonov’s thoughts on who was upset by the lack of indictment in the Maksim Kuzmin case.
Today, District Attorney Bobby Bland flatly stated, “The grand jury determined there was insufficient evidence to charge them [Mr. and Mrs. Shatto] with anything.”
Although he is a Texas district attorney, and for public interest purposes has to defend the American side, the prosecutor's words sounded like poorly disguised professional regret that the evidence was insufficient. If you add the word “unfortunately” to the quote above, that regret will become permanently attached to it.
My guess is that District Attorney Bland knows a lot about the Shatto family. I’d talk to him, but it’s too late, now he won’t say anything. The case has international significance. It has national importance. It’s about the international reputation of the United States.
I think the prosecutor’s heart is not on the side of the Shatto family.
The sudden appearance of multiple photos of the Shatto family all dressed up is indirect evidence that the Americans understood the importance of the case of three-year-old Maksim’s death in his adoptive parents’ backyard in the town of Odessa, Texas. The 200-kilogram couple put out their photos in dresses, suits, white shirts and ties. There are flowers in the background.
Of course, these photos were intended to convince the public that the Shatto family, classy and dressed up, could not have killed the boy. I don’t rule out the notion that these photos were taken approximately a week ago and deliberately spread through the media.
Before now, we’ve seen photos of how they look at home: bare belly, suspenders, plaid shirt and other underwear.
"Insufficient evidence" ... and are they going to give us the little evidence they do have?
I would like to look at the children's playground near the Shatto family home in Odessa, where little Maksim died.
And does that playground exist at all? What’s it like? If it’s a simple sandbox with a couple of plastic pails and shovels, then there’s nothing that could lead to death, nothing to run into, nothing to fall off of.
I wonder: Does the playground have a swing? What kind? Wooden, with ropes? Metal? Is there a jungle gym, from which he could have fallen? Were there other children around at the time of Maksim’s death?
The Texas D.A. did not tell us anything. He did not say how, in the state’s opinion, three-year-old Maksim died.
Tell me, what is the state’s version of his death? Fell off a hill? Got hit by the swing? Other children pushed him? Or the parents pushed him onto something hard?
The American side will avoid answering these questions. Instead of answers, they’ll throw more and more new photos of the respectable Shattos at us. In the future, we can look forward to a character reference from the local priest.
In our country, the creative class is already rejoicing. They’ve disgraced Attorney Astakhov. Based on the Texas law enforcement officers’ preliminary findings, Astakhov initially reported that the child was fed psychotropic drugs to reduce hyperactivity and that numerous bruises and abrasions were found on his body. Astakhov suggested that the parents are to blame for the boy’s death.
And now, Attorney Astakhov, whom they hate, has been disgraced.
“If Texas law enforcement officials said that the Shatto family is innocent, then it must be so. Whoever decides to doubt the Texas law enforcement’s verdict is … a liar, crazy, a Kremlin sellout, or even worse.”
Astakhov is really just a symbol. In reality, the bourgeois intelligentsia of the Russian capital is on America’s side. It’s fighting to make sure that America’s reputation is spotless — especially without any bloody spots.
A win over Astakhov is a victory for America.
Why are they fighting for America? Because to them America is the ideal country and society. Because they believe in America as their heavenly home. Because America is their Kitezh [a mythical city]. America is their religion.
They cannot let America fall or lose its reputation. Otherwise, the floor would fall out, like a stool from under someone who was hanged. They’d be hanging and running out of breath.
They cannot live without the universal reason and argument, “America!”
Saying that little Maksim killed himself suits them. But saying that a rude and dumb American family struggled with the boy’s nature and awkwardly killed him in the desire to fix him — such a truth doesn’t work for them.
*Translator’s Note: Limonov is the author of this article. The quote is hypothetical (i.e. not actually said).
Today, District Attorney Bobby Bland flatly stated, “The grand jury determined there was insufficient evidence to charge them [Mr. and Mrs. Shatto] with anything.”
Although he is a Texas district attorney, and for public interest purposes has to defend the American side, the prosecutor's words sounded like poorly disguised professional regret that the evidence was insufficient. If you add the word “unfortunately” to the quote above, that regret will become permanently attached to it.
My guess is that District Attorney Bland knows a lot about the Shatto family. I’d talk to him, but it’s too late, now he won’t say anything. The case has international significance. It has national importance. It’s about the international reputation of the United States.
I think the prosecutor’s heart is not on the side of the Shatto family.
The sudden appearance of multiple photos of the Shatto family all dressed up is indirect evidence that the Americans understood the importance of the case of three-year-old Maksim’s death in his adoptive parents’ backyard in the town of Odessa, Texas. The 200-kilogram couple put out their photos in dresses, suits, white shirts and ties. There are flowers in the background.
Of course, these photos were intended to convince the public that the Shatto family, classy and dressed up, could not have killed the boy. I don’t rule out the notion that these photos were taken approximately a week ago and deliberately spread through the media.
Before now, we’ve seen photos of how they look at home: bare belly, suspenders, plaid shirt and other underwear.
"Insufficient evidence" ... and are they going to give us the little evidence they do have?
I would like to look at the children's playground near the Shatto family home in Odessa, where little Maksim died.
And does that playground exist at all? What’s it like? If it’s a simple sandbox with a couple of plastic pails and shovels, then there’s nothing that could lead to death, nothing to run into, nothing to fall off of.
I wonder: Does the playground have a swing? What kind? Wooden, with ropes? Metal? Is there a jungle gym, from which he could have fallen? Were there other children around at the time of Maksim’s death?
The Texas D.A. did not tell us anything. He did not say how, in the state’s opinion, three-year-old Maksim died.
Tell me, what is the state’s version of his death? Fell off a hill? Got hit by the swing? Other children pushed him? Or the parents pushed him onto something hard?
The American side will avoid answering these questions. Instead of answers, they’ll throw more and more new photos of the respectable Shattos at us. In the future, we can look forward to a character reference from the local priest.
In our country, the creative class is already rejoicing. They’ve disgraced Attorney Astakhov. Based on the Texas law enforcement officers’ preliminary findings, Astakhov initially reported that the child was fed psychotropic drugs to reduce hyperactivity and that numerous bruises and abrasions were found on his body. Astakhov suggested that the parents are to blame for the boy’s death.
And now, Attorney Astakhov, whom they hate, has been disgraced.
“If Texas law enforcement officials said that the Shatto family is innocent, then it must be so. Whoever decides to doubt the Texas law enforcement’s verdict is … a liar, crazy, a Kremlin sellout, or even worse.”
Astakhov is really just a symbol. In reality, the bourgeois intelligentsia of the Russian capital is on America’s side. It’s fighting to make sure that America’s reputation is spotless — especially without any bloody spots.
A win over Astakhov is a victory for America.
Why are they fighting for America? Because to them America is the ideal country and society. Because they believe in America as their heavenly home. Because America is their Kitezh [a mythical city]. America is their religion.
They cannot let America fall or lose its reputation. Otherwise, the floor would fall out, like a stool from under someone who was hanged. They’d be hanging and running out of breath.
They cannot live without the universal reason and argument, “America!”
Saying that little Maksim killed himself suits them. But saying that a rude and dumb American family struggled with the boy’s nature and awkwardly killed him in the desire to fix him — such a truth doesn’t work for them.
*Translator’s Note: Limonov is the author of this article. The quote is hypothetical (i.e. not actually said).
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