The Crucible 2.0: The Kremlin Troll Trials

“It’s the proper morning to fly into Hell” – The Crucible

This is a declaration to end the ad hominem character assassination of those individuals that have been pushed down, silenced and ousted for thinking differently. It's a message of remembrance and a message to cease the hysterical nature of debating that has reached absurd levels of delirium. 

In 1954, Arthur Miller released his fictionalized story of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. It is considered a masterpiece by many and was historically relevant at the time as it served as an allegory for the rampant McCarthyism that knit the American political sphere into a knot – a knot that when tangled would form a uniform belief that, anyone deemed conducting ‘’un-American’’ activities, became viewed as a red-nosed communist. Arthur Miller himself was questioned before the House of Representatives’ Committee of Un-American Activities in 1956 and paid the price of this ostracization by being convicted of contempt of congress. Had he been a politician, it would have been a death sentence and he would’ve shared the same fate as the witches in Salem. Political assassination; one where noose and neck are tied together because of  a difference in perspective. 

Luckily, as a playwright he could convert this negative backlash into the work that even today gives standing ovations on Broadway. In 1692, witches were a hot topic and Russians were cold and nowhere to be seen, not even from Alaska (Looking at you, Sarah Palin). The only thing notable going on in Russia during this year was Peter I setting up his ‘’All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters’’, an exclusive club consisting of his close friends centred around partying and drinking. Had Peter I been alive today, he would’ve been brought to the Mueller tribunal and questioned if this club had anything to do with Trump or the ongoing ‘’Russia investigation’’. 

‘’Was Trump in any way involved in this circle of reckless party-animals and how did you do it? How did you manage to share a single night of drunken debauchery with Mr. Trump while we still aren’t find a shred of evidence of collusion?’’

Today, it’s safe to say that witches are a thing of the past and lessons were supposed to have been learned about ostracizing a particular group of people for having different beliefs and values. Looking at the state of today’s media affairs, I want to ask the reader whether the climate really has become more inclusive towards us Kremlin trolls or whether various entities have once again started using similar measures as in the 17th century. Combining this with the historical Russophobia that has glued all the negative sentiments into associations with Russia, it’s safe to say that today’s Liberals and Democrats have been using this justification on more than a few occasions. 

For those of you not familiar with the characters of the actual play, I’ll try to make it as understandable as possible. My revamped Crucible is one riddled with characters ranging from the innocent Scottish security guard playing a minor part as a Kremlin troll (Byline really outdid themselves in their ‘’complicated’’ Twitter analysis) to the principal lead that should be strong enough to compare to the courageous John Proctor in the original play. For the moment, I’m leaving this part to The Donald, as he has managed to get the ball rolling in the wider picture in the fight against the Deep State. The ‘’Men in Dark Suits’’ as Putin famously commented, must have gotten to him, especially as his generous donations to Ukraine have appeared. 

Although there are few signs that show the delusional grandeur of his predicted impeachment by obvious parties in this debate, it would make this main lead fit so much nicer in the context of the 2nd Crucible. Nice try, Donald, but we’re not quite there yet. Abigail Williams, the witch that directed all the attention away by pointing the finger at everyone but herself fits in nicely with the persona of Hillary Clinton. She’s out of the picture, but the effects of her ‘’Anyone-but-me’’ diversion campaign is what takes the form of this Russia Investigation and subsequently forms the basis of this play. Although, I could very much see her as the principal judge deciding who ultimately is a witch, or Kremlin troll, in this process. In the play, however, Judge Danforth (One of the judges in charge of the Salem Witch Trials) expresses a degree of sympathy for John Proctor, as long as he confesses to witchcraft. Hillary, in this real-life scenario, would show little mercy to any convicted Kremlin troll which is why I don’t think she’d fit the part. At most, she would express sympathy for Alexei Navalny and other anti-Putinists that would further her own cause. We all know what cause that is. 

Proceedings begin…The court brings forth the following accused Kremlin agents to the stand:

Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Ivanka Trump. Once these proceedings are over, we will commence the investigation of the following people:

• Any person with a pro-Russian view.
• Any person with Russian ancestry.
• Any person that has visited Russia at least once during their lifetime.
• Anyone that has ever been in contact with a Russian person.

Stop this hysteria. Political debating has reached a dangerous level. 

Court is dismissed.