Security or freedom?

April 4, 2004 in the program of Vitaly Tretyakov "What to do?" the choice of modern society between security and freedom was discussed. The most pessimistic point of view was presented by Valery Solovey, an expert of the Gorbachev Foundation, who stated that for Europe the retreat from freedom had already begun, that in general the “democracy” project (which was initiated by the Enlightenment) is gradually curtailing in Europe today. This, of course, will be hindered by public opinion, but it will gradually come to terms, exchanging freedom for security. Terrorism, in connection with which this issue is actually discussed in the program, is only a catalyst for a process that has already begun. Moreover, V.Solovey does not see the limit of curtailment of democratic freedoms. He believes that it can even reach a caste society.

The rest of the participants in the program did not support V.Solovy, noting that freedom is the basic concept of Western society, having sacrificed it, it will cease to exist. They cited universal suffrage as one of the essential features of Western European society.

V. Solovey again disagreed with this, saying that the Arabs are unlikely to receive voting rights when there are too many of them in Europe. Nightingale even claimed that in some countries, for example, in the UK, there is a list of ten "undesirable" nationalities (and precisely in the ethnic sense), whose representatives are not allowed into the country, and that similar restrictions exist in other Western countries. If Europe puts up with defeat in rights on a racial basis, then later she will come to terms with the same on a social principle.

What to do // Culture. 2004. April 4.