The Order Of Parental Glory

Russia has the 'Order of Parental Glory':

The Order of Parental Glory is awarded to parents and adoptive parents of seven or more children for their services to strengthening the institution of the family and raising children.

Mangan pointed this out. He suggests Putin is just trolling the West:

Imagining the U.S. with an Oder of Parental Glory is, well, impossible. I'd sooner expect the institution of a title of nobility for the woman who's had the most abortions.

I don't know whether or not Putin goes to church on Sunday, but he does appear to understand what the God of the Living wants. Maybe presiding over a massive demographic collapse at least puts some fear into you.

I'm just pointing this out in case anyone wants to start understanding what, at the very least, appropriate intention, might look like. I am not all that fond of award ceremonies, but Putin is trying to effect change at a high state level, as the leader of a federation.

Here is more evidence Putin has a clue- Why Westerners Misunderstand Vladimir Putin. John Durant argues even Putin's shirtless photos are part of a plan to model proper masculinity:

Furthermore, in the midst of Putin’s hyper-masculine photography, we somehow miss the fact that he nurtures wild animals (#25), protects national treasures (#7), and plays the piano (#23). He wraps these activities in masculinity, which we associate with silly recklessness, but the activities themselves are about nurturing, civilized behavior. (Even if he’s a thug behind the scenes to maintain a semblance of order.)

It's worth reading Durant's whole piece.

This is a topsy-turvy world. I can see evidence of true understanding in the Russian leader, but those who supposedly have ears to hear can't hear. In fact, it was once suggested to me I should pray so that I could sit through talks without hearing the errors. This from a guy who actually made an Arius sized error in a talk, though he usually limits his insipidity to repetitions of happy, happy, joy, joy. His Arian mistake, though heresy, was at least a bit more erudite, but it appears he only misspoke.

To the point, though, if errors aren't noticed, nothing gets solved. The Spanish king abdicates, and the rabble fill the streets with anti-Monarchical protests. It is the same revolution, the same thoughts, the same errors. No one repents. The Monarchy of Spain may not have been doing a great job lately, but if they were to start with an understanding that theft and the lack of place is what is causing them problems, then they would understand that they could not steal from the royal family and deny them a place. Meanwhile, the politicians and bankers who are destroying the place keep getting to do what they want.

Whatever. It would be nice to put my hand to something real. The potential is low, anyway- The Emperor Augustus, I believe, did try various things to get Rome back on a more family friendly path, but it did not appear to work. Putin is trying stuff at a similar scale- I think the most effective chance is at a city-scale (pre-modern city sizes), with enough land to grow food, if necessary. I am all for trade too. I don't look for total self-sufficiency, but enough redundancy to handle the vagaries of the neighborhood.