Translated material
Voltaire's exposure
Exposure. So the author of The New Times called this material, who published his view of Russian politics under the pseudonym Voltaire for more than a year. Not in the rules of The New Times to publish anonymouses. But the author offered such a game, and it seemed interesting to us. Today, Voltaire takes off the mask 
I knew that this day would come. The day of exposure is without black magic, of course, but still with some shades of Bulgakov. I was not only flattering, but also funny to hide behind your pseudonym - after all, your real name is Arue, so it turned out to be doubly pseudonym. I am grateful to you, and in debt to you, and since you and I are convinced atheists who know perfectly well that there is neither paradise nor hell, that the named world is a fairy tale for the weak people who control the churchmen, it is clear: we will not meet, and I will not be able to shake your hand and drink a glass of Burgundy with you. But at the same time, I believe that the mysterious way there is a communication between people who have long gone and alive, that each of us is not the island by itself *** Words from the sermon of John Donn., But there is the sum of what was before him. So goodbye. I am dropping a mask borrowed.
Nights ...
From the mediocre, unscrupulous, spraying saliva and the anger of self-supported patriots-states, who had settled in the government, in the presidential administration, in the State Duma, in the Council of the Federation, in regional legislative assemblies, at federal television channels.
From thirsty blood and calling to pick up grenade launchers of radicals and passionate provocateurs, from the voying of the bloodthirsty adherents of revolutions.
From arrogant snobs, unimportantly lining their country and their people with slopes under the banner, on which the slogan is drawn: "Everything is shit except urine!" From the complete conceit of semi-literate holoi journalists who are ready to serve anyone and write/say anything for the appropriate fee.
From the aggressive, greedy, vengeful priests, brazenly and shamelessly interfering in a private life, penetrating into the authorities, into schools, into the armed forces, who considers himself the right to dictate to women, how to dress, who is not considered Russian, a spiritual model for imitation.
Hugs from what they consider me either an idiot or cattle:
- They promise direct elections of governors, but immediately attach two restrictive filters to these elections and hastily, before the election deadline, remove the old ones and assign as many new governors as possible;
- “update” the government by three quarters, while transferring almost all former ministers to the presidential administration as assistants and advisers;
- Solemnly report the creation of “public television”, but at the same time they sign a decree according to which the general director of this television is appointed (and, of course, removed) by the President of the Russian Federation, which cancels the very concept of “public television”.
And they believe that I take all this for a clean coin. What am I! It is believed that, if not all, then the vast majority of Russians are stupid people, whose deceiving is easier for steamed turnips. And again, the saying of Abraham Lincoln comes to mind: “You can fool part of the people for a lot of time; And you can fool a lot of people part of the time; But it is impossible to fool all the people all the time. ” But they do not know Lincoln, and if they knew, they would shake as "deprived of the spirituality of the Americans." They are fooling people, believing that only this can be treated with the people. That he is deaf, blind, submissive, gullible.
They are mistaken.
I am a witness
Over the past three months, I traveled a lot around the country, presented my book and met with hundreds - perhaps even with thousands - people. They are unhappy. They are overwhelmed with a feeling of indignation. Not because there is little money or, excuse me for a rough expression, there is nothing to eat. It is just that everything is not bad, in any case better than ever in the history of Russia. There have never been so many cars (and traffic jams) on the streets of Russian cities, there have never been so many shops, such an abundance, such an offer - and since it is, it means that there is demand, it means that people can afford what they could not afford, or something that was not at all.
So what are they dissatisfied with?
Remember the joke about how the famous Soviet scientist, Jew, decided to emigrate to Israel? Since he is a very large scientist, he is invited to the Old Square, to the Central Committee of the CPSU, where he is accepted by the appropriate employee. Well, for example, Zyuganov (keep in mind, Gennady Andreevich, this is just a joke). Such a dialogue occurs:
“Zyu: What is wrong? Maybe problems at work?
Scientist: No, everything is in order.
Zyu: Do you pay little?
Scientist: No, they pay perfectly.
Zyu: Ah, I understand, problems with the living space?
Scientist: No, I have a great four -room apartment.
Zyu: Mlm Mmm. Maybe children are not hired by children?
Scientist: They are quite well arranged.
Zu (outraged): So what do you need, the Jewish face?! "
And today they ask the same question: what is it, what do you need, who are you to rally and generally express dissatisfaction?!
Rulers and people *
Do you know how people are really unhappy? The fact that they are fooling around. Yes, of course, heapers of bureaucratic arbitrariness, unheard of corruption, police lawlessness. But most of all the citizens are affected by the fact that no one in power is considered that they are mistaken for morons. And people are quite normal. I would even say good. How they listen! What amazing questions are asked! What eyes they look at! How grateful for any attempt to an honest conversation!
They ask me: "Well, when will we live like people?" I answer: “When you behave like people. Then you will live normally. ”
But I understand that this will happen soon. They are not to blame for the fact that Russia followed the path of Orthodoxy, thereby dooming itself to backwardness and isolation from the rest of the Jewish-Christian world. They are not to blame for the fact that in Russia, instead of revival, there were almost three centuries of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. They are not to blame for the fact that Russia turned out to be the only European country that turned its own people into slaves and retained them as capacity until the second half of the 19th century.
And who is he, a slave? The most irresponsible of all people: the owner is responsible for him. What is the slave psychology? She, in very short, is expressed by the words “What do you deign?”, She is all subordinate, in the ministry. But the slaves were freed. A little more than half a century has passed, the minimum time, so that the descendants of the slaves become more or less people - and new slavery, Soviet, is born.
Can a person experience nostalgia for slavery? Maybe! Because a slave to live is easier. He does not need to make decisions - for him they will be made by a master, the king, his native party, the father of the peoples and the brightest genius of mankind. And the fact that the stores are empty, the fact that they live in communal services, that everywhere - from the toilet to the counter - you have to stand in line, that you won’t go anywhere, that there is only one party, one truth, and God forbid you to doubt it, otherwise you, a slave, will be sent to where Makar did not drive the calves, but everything is calm, from the crawl to it. coffin.
So, they free the slave. “You come on yourself,” they say to him, “you are now in the answer. You can swim - well, no - drown, yours, yours. ” And what about a slave? And here's what: “Barin, do not, for the sake of God, do not leave me, do not leave me, I will serve you faithfully and truth, just don’t leave me!”
It is difficult to be free. It is difficult to answer for yourself - especially from the habit.
We still live in a Soviet country. Political leadership - and not only political - for the most part consists of people that the Soviet system formed. They were born in the Soviet Union, went to the Soviet kindergarten, to the Soviet school, they were pioneers and Komsomol members, most were members of the CPSU, they were a Soviet product. And nothing can be done about it: people are not lizards, they cannot get rid of the old tail and grow a new one. But this applies not only to the leadership of the country, but to almost every Russian, who is at least 40 years old. "
We still live in a Soviet country. The political leadership for the most part consists of people formed by the Soviet system. They were born in the Soviet Union, went to the Soviet kindergarten, to the Soviet school, they were pioneers and Komsomol members, most were members of the CPSU, they were a Soviet product. And nothing can be done about it: people are not lizards, they cannot get rid of the old tail and grow a new one
"Once I asked Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin:" Are you a democrat? " “No, of course, you know in which country I was born and raised, what party I was a member.
His answer is true for a significant majority of Russians, including those who loudly and rather annoyingly declare their democracy. Democracy cannot be decreed, democracy is primarily a state of brain, democracy is a process that takes time. Today there is no democracy in Russia, since the Russians themselves are not democratic. And I think there will be no democracy until the generation of grandchildren comes to power: not those who were born after the disappearance of the USSR, but those whose parents were born then.
So, I hear the question, sit and endure, do nothing?
By no means.
Do. Resist. Seek. Like the same frog that got into a bucket with milk, fought, fought while the milk turned into oil, and calmly crawled out onto the solid ground. So democracy is born.
PS dear Voltaire. I forgot to ask you for forgiveness for the fact that perhaps something, with any inept reasoning, upset you. I know you will forgive me, because you are a genuine democrat.
With deep respect and admiration, 
Voltaire's first letter was published inNo. 6 of February 21, 2011. Total The New Times published 12 letters of Mr. Voltaire .
Reply to relate to all overwhelm