The wars in Ukraine and Israel and the failing global economy herald the advent of a new world order Demonstrators in Moscow mark the fifth anniversary of the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, 29 February 2020. Photo: Yuri Kochetkov / EPA-EFE Boris Kagarlitsky Russian sociologist currently serving a five-year prison sentence for “justifying terrorism” Despite some obvious differences, it appears to me that there are certain similarities between current events in Russia and Israel.

Boris Kagarlitsky In Russia, nobody is surprised by stories of corruption. Neither is there anything new about the way officials accused of bribery and embezzlement easily escape punishment. Sometimes they keep up appearances by simply switching job titles, while lecturing Russians on spiritual values, morality and patriotism. Against this backdrop, there is something very strange regarding the case of the Aeroflot pilots' union leaders who were accused of extorting bribes from their employer.

Boris Kagarlitsky In 1604, King Philip III of Spain suffered a burn while sleeping near the fireplace because no nobleman could be found with the authority to move his chair. That is a good example of the dangers of excessive specialization.

Boris Kagarlitsky While seated at the breakfast table recently, I noticed a box bearing the mysterious inscription: "Official juices and nectars." I was astonished. Did that mean there were also "unofficial" juices and nectars? Or even worse, "bootleg" juices and nectars? How would those pretenders differ from the "official" variety, I wondered? Then I turned the box around and discovered the symbol of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Boris Kagarlitsky Murders stemming from domestic violence occur every week in Russia, as they do elsewhere in the world. Most in Russia go unnoticed by the public and unsolved by the police. But after the recent killing in Moscow of 25-year-old Yegor Shcherbakov, the authorities made extraordinary efforts to apprehend the culprit. They soon arrested Azeri national Orkhan Zeinalov, and journalists immediately reported that he was guilty of the murder — even before a trial has been held.

Boris Kagarlitsky It has finally happened: the economic course originally instituted by Yegor Gaidar is now playing out. The methodical dismantling of the remnants of the welfare state, the new wave of privatization, the refusal to create new jobs and the resulting rise in unemployment — these are the program that our wise government officials that will pull Russia out of the economic crisis.

Boris Kagarlitsky If there was even one point on which the candidates in the Sept. 8 Moscow mayoral race were in agreement, it was on the question of migrant workers. They unanimously described migrants as an evil practically on par with criminals and tried to outdo each other with statements about how they would deal with this blight. Who exactly were the candidates referring to when they spoke of migrant workers?

Boris Kagarlitsky One of Josef Stalin most-quoted phrases is: "It doesn't matter how people vote. What matters is who counts the votes." This describes Russia's elections even now. The Moscow mayoral election is an extremely important event for government officials, the liberal opposition and journalists. The only group for whom the elections are not terribly important is Muscovites. They know perfectly well that nothing in the city will change after Sept. 8.

Boris Kagarlitsky Acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's refusal to engage in televised debates with opposition leader Alexei Navalny was met with a sharp reaction from many Russians, who accused him of being a coward. Meanwhile, almost no one has asked about what participants in the debate would say, what problems should be put before them and what positions they might defend. Yet these are the most important issues facing voters.

Boris Kagarlitsky The authorities made a serious tactical error when a Kirov court handed down a guilty verdict against opposition leader Alexei Navalny last Thursday. But even more disastrous than the mistake itself is the fact that Russian officials never admit when they are wrong. This forms the basis of the whole irrational culture of subordination that makes it impossible to challenge even the most idiotic decision because each one is considered to be irreversible a priori.

Boris Kagarlitsky The government's stated purpose behind the bill to reform the Russian Academy of Sciences was to free researchers from the burden of administering property so that they could devote all of their efforts to pure scientific work. That argument might have made sense back in ancient Greece, but today no major advancements in applied science are possible without significant resources and equipment.

Boris Kagarlitsky The whole thing started with revelations about a mansion allegedly belonging to Russian Railways head Vladimir Yakunin. Then came the fake letter about his resignation that made the rounds among government officials, reminiscent of the largely forgotten episode in French history when Claude-Francois de Malet falsely reported that Emperor Napoleon had died in Russia and seized control of Paris for two hours.

Boris Kagarlitsky Most Russian journalists are convinced that an "expert" is any person who has an opinion on a particular subject, regardless of that person's field of expertise. I am constantly fending off young reporters who request my "expert" commentary on everything from political intrigue in North Korea to the fate of elephants in Burundi. Each of them responds to my protests with bewilderment.

Boris Kagarlitsky The number of political prisoners related to the "Bolotnoye affair" underscores the scope of the authorities' crackdown on the remnants of free political expression and the constitutional right to assembly in the country. Even more than a year after the original opposition protests on Bolotnaya Ploshchad, there are new arrests and searches across the country.

Boris Kagarlitsky As I walked through the crowd gathered on Bolotnaya Ploshchad for this month's anniversary of the May 6, 2012, rally, I experienced a sudden sense of déjà vu. I didn't feel like I was back at last year's demonstration but rather at a modern-day Communist rally. True, the Bolotnaya protesters were a bit younger and better educated on the whole. But otherwise, the hate directed at the ruling regime and the other similarities are growing stronger with each successive rally.