The rollback of America

On Tuesday, November 13, (Moscow will already be in Moscow) the Committee on the Regulations of the House of Representatives of the US Congress intends to consider the bill on the cancellation of the amendment of the Jackson-Vanik, which limits trade relations with Russia. The committee’s website reports that the bill on the cancellation of discriminatory amendments and the “Magnitsky Law” are combined into one document.

Let me remind you: the amendment of the Jackson-Viennik adopted in 1974 forbade to provide the most favored knowledge regime in trade, state loans and credit guarantees to countries that violate or "limit the rights of their citizens to emigration and other human rights" (Restrict Freedom of Emigration and Other Human Rights). The amendment provided for the use of discriminatory tariffs and fees against goods imported in the United States from such countries with a non -market economy.

This amendment once played a significant role in facilitating emigration from the USSR, and even more in counteracting the "iron curtain" in other communist countries. It acts to this day, for example, in relation to Cuba and North Korea. Over the past 20 years, the amendment of Jackson-Vanik has lost its main meaning in relation to Russia, since since the late 80s of the last century emigration from the USSR, and then Russia has become free. Since 1989, the United States annually imposed a moratorium on the amendment, and in 1994, President Clinton gave guarantees for automatic extension of the most favored nation regime in trade. Since then, the amendment does not actually work. Formally, it was canceled for Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, and for Russia it is preserved only on paper. Neither her cancellation, nor its preservation have practical results for Russia. Nevertheless, the Kremlin stubbornly achieves its cancellation. Why?

The easiest answer: for the sake of satisfying great -power ambitions. Probably, Vladimir Putin is insulting that his “vertical” regime is revered in the West not very democratic. Preservation of the amendment of Jackson-Vanik is a visible evidence of this. I really want to get rid of this label of totalitarianism!

But there is another explanation, less comforting. The Kremlin’s political course in the last year, especially in the field of legislation and judicial practice, clearly indicates a return to Soviet methods of public administration. The Criminal Code is returned to the norms and concepts used in Stalin's times. Laws that limit freedom on the Internet are introduced. The capabilities of non -profit organizations, especially working with foreign partners, are limited. The attack on human rights in Russia goes on all fronts. Including in such an important direction as freedom of departure from the country.

Today, Article 27 of the Constitution of Russia, which states that "everyone can freely travel outside the Russian Federation" is not only violated, but also formally. The country has published regulatory acts prohibiting free travel abroad for certain categories of persons - debtors for administrative fines and taxes, defectors of alimony, defendants in court lawsuits. In all these cases, the mechanisms of recovery and coercion prescribed in the law already exist from the arrest of property to administrative and criminal cases. The issue of "closing the border" is decided by a judicial act, but not at the hearing, but personally by the bailiff.

The ban on leaving the country is an excess and anti -constitutional measure. Meanwhile, the legislators of our insane State Duma strive to expand the list of "disadvantages" at the expense of more and more categories of unreliable citizens. The trend is obvious - only behind the "iron curtain" the figures of the Putin regime can feel relatively comfortable. Only in the maximum isolation from the rest of the world, Russia can again be turned into a tough authoritarian state.

The Americans are going to make their five cents in this gymal matter. The cancellation of the correction of Jackson-Vannik will give Putin and his team confidence in his future impunity. The US rollback from the positions of protecting human rights around the world only at the Kremlin’s hand. Damocles Sword of Economic Sanctions, which constantly hung over the regime, who is thinking of returning to authoritarianism, will soon be hidden in the scabbard of some other reboot or discharge.

President Obama (as, indeed, his predecessor Bush Jr.) were and remain passionate opponents of the amendments of Jackson-Vannik. Due to the obstinacy of the American Congress, these presidents with the cancellation of the amendment not everything did. What kind of "rollback" is the American administration counting on is not quite understandable now. But it is not for nothing that Barack Obama at a meeting with Medvedev in Seoul in March this year talked into a microphone, which was forgotten to turn it off that after the US presidential election he would have freedom of maneuver and he will become more accommodating. The elections have passed. Obama demonstrates conspiracy.