Dvurushnikami traditionally called those who of the two conflicting parties do not want to choose either, trying to maintain good relations with both enemies. Such "neutrality" often seems win-win, but in fact it sometimes turns against the sly man himself. The victorious party will certainly find out the fact of collaboration, after which there will be a punishment, which in severity surpasses the measures taken even to the defeated enemy. So what is double-dealing, and how does it differ from banal betrayal?
Double-dealing beggars
Beggars from ancient times constituted a special community, a caste, within which there were rules, ethics and other norms of behavior. Violators of unwritten laws were subjected to obstruction, sometimes the sentences were harsh. In particular, it was forbidden to stick both hands out of the crowd asking. Some beggars did this in the hope of double prey. It is in this unfortunate social phenomenon that one should look for the answer to the question of what duplicity is in the original sense. A similar situation is described in the novel “Petersburg Slums” by writer V.V. Krestovsky. In the future, this offensive nickname spread to those beggars who, manifesting religious unprincipledness, managed to "earn" by begging for coins near mosques, synagogues, churches, churches and Orthodox churches. Denomination is not important for them, they would give money.
What is double-dealing in the political sense
In his works on the national question, Lenin drew a parallel between the poor universalists and liberal politicians, finding similarities in their behavior. These figures pulled one hand to the bright ideals of democracy, moreover, openly, without hiding, but the second, already secretly, welcomed the royal satraps. The further development of Marxism in the territory of the former Russian Empire clearly demonstrated all the charms of popular democracy. Lenin's successor, I.V. Stalin, had his own idea of what double-dealing was, this word denoted non-denunciation even of close relatives and friends. Such an offense (and inaction from a legal point of view can also be regarded as a criminal act) was punished severely - by prison, camps or exile. The word "double-dealing" has become the brand that was used to brand all party members who were objectionable to the regime, and sometimes ordinary citizens who fell under the ax of repression.
Household double-dealing
But not only beggars and politicians use this concept. Ordinary citizens also know what duplicity means. “Both ours and yours,” “the submissive calf sucks two mothers”, “and as you say, you are right too” - such sayings and phrases clearly define everyday conformism, expressing the desire to please everyone with a complete lack of desire to have their own position in emerging life conflicts. In some cases, double-dealing is behavior on the verge of betrayal, especially if the assurances of eternal friendship and devotion end with the support of the opposite side at the time of its triumph. Another term is already applicable here - duplicity. However, the numbers “two” are sometimes not enough; larger numbers are required.