--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Putin has built a mobilisation society…" description: "\"Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high popularity numbers, which Donald Trump so envies, are fully dependent on being able to mobilise th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png" --- # Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high… ![“Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high popularity numbers, which Donald Trump so envies, are fully dependent on being able to mobilise the population against an enemy and that imagined enemy is the United States.” quote by Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png) > “Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high popularity numbers, which Donald Trump so envies, are fully dependent on being able to mobilise the population against an enemy and that imagined enemy is the United States.” [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that Putin’s popularity stems from his ability to rally citizens against a perceived external threat, specifically the United States, which fuels his political power. **In simple terms:** Putin’s support relies on framing the US as an enemy. Key Takeaway Recognize how leaders use external threats to unite people. Themes political manipulation nationalism leadership Mood critical analytical Type political observational When to use this quote - elections - public speeches - media campaigns - foreign policy debates Key Concepts populism enemy construction propaganda Questions to Reflect On - How do external threats shape national unity? - What are the risks of rallying against an imagined enemy? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex domestic factors and ignore genuine public sentiment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Donald trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-trump/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin/) [Putin Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin-built-5360333/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Envies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-envies-4268993/) ## Related quotes > [Donald Trump envies anyone who can do things he can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/donald-trump-envies-anyone-who-can-do-things-he-can-t/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Putin has this ritual of having the televised meetings with ministers. Cameras will be allowed in to film the first five minutes of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-has-this-ritual-of-having-the-televised-meetings-with-ministers/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Trump very much wants to be liked by Putin and I think sincerely admires him. Putin doesn't know how to deal with somebody who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/trump-very-much-wants-to-be-liked-by-putin-and-i-think-sincerely/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [It seems that probably Putin's father maintained some connection to the secret police throughout his life. One sign of that is that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/it-seems-that-probably-putin-s-father-maintained-some-connection-to/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I've learned over the years to hear what Putin is railing against in his own railing way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-to-hear-what-putin-is-railing-against-in/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Of course, Putin may well have reasons for wanting Trump to be president - not least Trump's apparent skepticism toward NATO and his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/of-course-putin-may-well-have-reasons-for-wanting-trump-to-be/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [The rest of Russia is watching the same television that Vladimir Putin is watching. As far as they're concerned, Pussy Riot was rightly convicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/the-rest-of-russia-is-watching-the-same-television-that-vladimir/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Every time I talk to somebody about Putin, it's like, 'But isn't he vastly popular?' Is that really the most important question? I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/every-time-i-talk-to-somebody-about-putin-it-s-like-but-isn-t-he/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Putin really assumed that once Trump - who had such clear admiration for him - was elected, it would be convenient for Trump to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-really-assumed-that-once-trump-who-had-such-clear-admiration/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [ “\[following the Kursk disaster\].. "Putin appeared on CNN's Larry King Live. When King asked "What happened?", Putin shrugged, smiled - impishly, it seemed -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/following-the-kursk-disaster-putin-appeared-on-cnn-s-larry-king-live/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I really can't abide conspiracy theories, because I believe that everything in the world stems from idiocy and incompetence. That's certainly true of most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-really-can-t-abide-conspiracy-theories-because-i-believe-that/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Many Americans have been looking for an explanation for Mr. Trump's apparent adoration of Mr. Putin. How can a powerful, wealthy American man hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/many-americans-have-been-looking-for-an-explanation-for-mr-trump-s/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [What Trump is not smart enough to even grasp is that the kind of popularity that Putin has can only be achieved in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/what-trump-is-not-smart-enough-to-even-grasp-is-that-the-kind-of/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Both Trump and Putin use language primarily to communicate not facts or opinions but power: it's not what the words mean that matters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/both-trump-and-putin-use-language-primarily-to-communicate-not-facts/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think that Putin's strategy has been throwing a lot of money, fairly haphazardly, at a lot of projects aimed at disrupting Western relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-putin-s-strategy-has-been-throwing-a-lot-of-money-fairly/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## More by Masha Gessen > [There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of the journalist with the view from nowhere - which has somehow morphed into the journalist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-s-this-american-pretense-which-is-the-pretense-of-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Where incompetence is prized, it is ever-present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/where-incompetence-is-prized-it-is-ever-present/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Trump, like Putin, has a demonstrably thin skin and short temper when it comes to being criticized by journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/trump-like-putin-has-a-demonstrably-thin-skin-and-short-temper-when/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [You risk everything if you so much as join a legal protest demonstration in Russia. It raises the stakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/you-risk-everything-if-you-so-much-as-join-a-legal-protest/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Donald Trump creates word salads. And that is awful to language, because we try to parse out what he's saying and try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/donald-trump-creates-word-salads-and-that-is-awful-to-language/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [It is the first time since 1993 that Russians have come out into the streets without an explicit permission from the government to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/it-is-the-first-time-since-1993-that-russians-have-come-out-into-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think Donald Trump was brought to power by Americans. They voted for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-donald-trump-was-brought-to-power-by-americans-they-voted-for/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [In the 1990s, there was a lot of reform, and there was a lot of forward movement on a lot of fronts in Russia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/in-the-1990s-there-was-a-lot-of-reform-and-there-was-a-lot-of-forward/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Poverty and scarcity are actually very good for totalitarian societies. They maintain that sense of mobilization that's essential for totalitarian societies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/poverty-and-scarcity-are-actually-very-good-for-totalitarian/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think that Putin's strategy has been throwing a lot of money, fairly haphazardly, at a lot of projects aimed at disrupting Western relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-putin-s-strategy-has-been-throwing-a-lot-of-money-fairly/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Both Trump and Putin use language primarily to communicate not facts or opinions but power: it's not what the words mean that matters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/both-trump-and-putin-use-language-primarily-to-communicate-not-facts/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I worked both as a Russian journalist and an American journalist and ran a bunch of magazines in Moscow over the course of about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-worked-both-as-a-russian-journalist-and-an-american-journalist-and/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I have no doubt that there are Russian efforts to disturb the fabric of American democracy, but they're disruption efforts. They're troublemaking efforts. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-are-russian-efforts-to-disturb-the-fabric/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [For years I was the only publicly out gay person who was not a full-time gay activist: my position as a quasi-foreigner gave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/for-years-i-was-the-only-publicly-out-gay-person-who-was-not-a-full/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Explore all 171 Masha Gessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## More Donald trump quotes > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. 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He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-doesn-t-necessarily-stay-mad-for-very-long-he-s-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Donald Trump so far is sending a signal that he's going to run the government like his business and maybe that's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/donald-trump-so-far-is-sending-a-signal-that-he-s-going-to-run-the/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If we turn our backs on the remaining industries and not reinvest in these places and just say 'You're on your own,' we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fetterman/if-we-turn-our-backs-on-the-remaining-industries-and-not-reinvest-in/) [John Fetterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fetterman/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] knows he's going to get hit, though. He's the president. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/donald-trump-knows-he-s-going-to-get-hit-though-he-s-the-president/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) [Browse all 2,538 Donald trump quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-trump/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high popularity numbers, which Donald Trump so envies, are fully dependent on being able to mobilise the population against an enemy and that imagined enemy is the United States.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Masha Gessen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-his-sky-high-popularity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Donald trump" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-his-sky-high-popularity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/masha-gessen-2322_donald-trump_putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-h_2287181.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Putin has built a mobilisation society, his sky high popularity numbers, which Donald Trump so envies, are…” — Masha Gessen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Masha Gessen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Putin has built a mobilisation society,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-his-sky-high-popularity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/putin-has-built-a-mobilisation-society-his-sky-high-popularity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```