Why Russia Is So Afraid of French Cheese

Russia is becoming a case study in pitting people who enjoy being told what to do, in the name of nationalism, against those who pursue their own preferences. The government, in what some call an attempt to back away from modern globalization, suggests that foreign foods pose a strategic danger. Neighbors report on neighbors for enjoying imported cheeses, fruits and meats. “The food snitches and food vigilantes are taking their cues from the top, of course,” writes Brian Whitmore for the Atlantic. “The head of the Russian Association of Textile Manufacturers says contraband foreign clothing should also be destroyed. Russian authorities have also begun removing household products manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, and other leading Western companies from stores, claiming health risks.” The government may be preparing Russians for a long period of low oil prices, a difficult economy and disagreements with the West – and putting the elite on notice. The danger of such bans is that what’s forbidden becomes most desired. – YaleGlobal