George Orwell said this in his 1945 satire novel Animal Farm about Russia-

"Napoleon (pig in charge) ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand, which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal. On some suitable pretext Whymper (the neighbor) was lead through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. He was deceived, and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm"

Vladimir Putin said this yeaterday-

"The Russian premier said that despite the low grain harvest this year, Russia will be able to fully make up for its internal demand due to the intervention fund of 9.5 million tons and last year's surplus of 21 million tons."

I read Animal Farm 40 years ago in high school, and reread it every few years. Oh how true its ideas ring! Sometimes I imagine the characters running around my farm.