Translated material
From a position outside the game
Once, I was invited with a friend to one famous house, where the game was going on cards. The game was shyler, everyone knew about it, so the hosts chronically suffered from a lack of guests. The person who brought us the invitation knew that the game was arranged by Schuler, and knew that we knew it.
Of course, you personally will not win, but you won’t lose anything, except that you will spend a little time, ”the messenger convinced us.
But why do you need this if, in beats the rest, you will win in any case? - we were surprised.
How do you not understand? - the agitator of the mass explained to us. - The game is only a ritual, behind which there are much more serious interests. But we need everything to look decent. Therefore, we ask you to come. It's not difficult for you?
It is not difficult for us, but it is not clear why we need it.
The messenger was persistent and convincing, and my friend is naive and excitement. He loved the cards very much and retained the shaky hope that some win would fall even in a shyra game. I refused the invitation due to the complete meaninglessness of the venture. My friend agreed, putting forward various outlandish assumptions about the possible success - if not in the game, then at least in the exposure of shuler. There was no need to expose them - they had long been exposed and legally used fame. There were no more honest players in the city. Therefore, besides the shuler, there was no one to play with. In fact, my good friend, an avid gambler, suffered from one thought that card games would disappear at all, and was ready to participate in the scam as a statist, just to maintain entertainment.
My friend was an opposition politician, Schuler was power, and I was an ordinary voter. Each has its own position. Schulers need elections in order for everything to look decent in order to cover the finished decision. Opposition politicians are ready to participate in the farce so that no one accused them of missing another opportunity to expose the long -exposed Shulers. In addition, they have professional fear of a master who is afraid to be left without an instrument. Elections are the main tool for democracy. How to abandon the tool yourself? This is sacrilege and betrayal of the profession! Democrats to neglect the elections - it is like a shoemaker to abandon a shoe knife, a doctor - from a phonondoscope or a hunter - from a gun. How to work? In fact, the boot knife has long been dull and does not cut, you can’t hear anything through the finsoscope, and the hunting rifle rusted and does not shoot. The tool does not work! But it is difficult to recognize this sad fact to the masters of the profession, and even having recognized this, they are not able to abandon the dummy sweet to their hearts.
My position, the position of a moderate cardigan and ordinary voter, is simple and logical. I do not mind spreading if I know that I can win in an honest game. I am ready to vote for who I like. I can spend a little of my time on a common good. But if there is no one to vote for, there are no one to choose from, and the results are a foregone conclusion, then why should I move for the sake of the frantic interests of the authorities or the professional complexes of opposition politicians? They have their own interests and their weaknesses, but what does I have a simple voter who is ready to cast his vote to someone who is not in the balloon? Why on earth should I go and cross out the ballot, as Boris Nemtsov recommends, or delete myself from the list of voters, as Eduard Limonov advises? Why do they call me in one form or another to participate in the "elections", the outcome of which, in their general opinion, does not depend on my voice?
The even funnier offer of Alexei Navalny: to take away the voices of the bad, to vote for disgusting. And this despite the fact that everyone agrees: the results of the "elections" do not depend on the ratio of the votes cast, not on the completeness of the voters lists and not on the number of crossed out ballots, but the only one from which final numbers will draw a centriezbirk! Why does the opposition calls me to take part in the elections in any way?
The normal position of sensible people is non -participation in the farce. This is not a sign of apoliticality - this is a sign of self -esteem and civil disgust. It is strange that the democratic opposition for the most part does not capture the mood in society and offers voters to take part in the game. The protest electorate is growing from the elections to the elections. There are more and more voters who refused to participate in the farce. They could become an asset of the opposition if the opposition supported their choice. But this does not happen. The opposition still expects to make from the "elections" if not a candy, then at least something useful. However, the elections are good precisely because you can choose someone on them, and if it is impossible, it is better to sit at home and not portray public enthusiasm.
A light ray flickered the election undertaking "Nah-Nah." Like the cobblestone - the weapon of the proletariat, so laughter is the opposition weapon. The jargon name of the established movement seemed to unequivocally indicates exactly where our false elections are sent by the strikeing Russian voters. However, not even a week has passed, how many fellow citizens of the movement are understood by the “nah-no” not a comprehensive message of officialdom to the cherished Dali, but all the same cunning games with ballots and voter lists.
Yes, getting used to the idea that there is no free and honest elections in Russia. It is unpleasant to realize that your legitimate voice will be used by shulers without your permission. But so it is. Therefore, from a pragmatic point of view, it doesn’t care what tactics the opposition voter will adhere to: it will cross out his bulletin, eat him, without leaving the booth, will take away his home, delete himself from the list of voters or will simply ignore the crook. The result of "elections" in any case will be one. However, for the idea of civil disobedience, which in the coming years is likely to gain popularity in society, the position of fundamental non -participation in the farce. It is more consonant with this idea. She is more clearly for argumentation, easier to execute and, undoubtedly, will be the most massive position of voters, dissatisfied with what the elections in Russia turned into.