In society

About one myth

February 25, 2013 Mikhail Berg

Here, more than a week ago, an interesting plot happened in the program “Echo of Moscow” “Full Albats” . It seemed to me that the Internet would explode the next day with comments - no, deaf, like in a tank. They don’t know how to react, and they don’t want to, most likely. But there was a symptomatic thing - the liberals of different positions argued. And as a result, Mikhail Dmitriev, unexpectedly for many, did not begin to prophesy the inevitable death of the Putin regime, but, on the contrary, decided to defend the economic achievements of modern Russia, in all positions defeated the liberal training-Harry Kasparov, Olga Romanov, and the leading Evgeny Albats itself. The whole Tsima is that Mikhail Dmitriev is also liberal, only of a different properties. In addition, the economist and sociologist, who prepared and announced the results of eloquent sociological surveys and research in response to routine accusations by Kasparov, Albats and Romanova, who claimed that in the absence of courts, democratic elections and other charms of parliamentary construction, economic growth is impossible. And Dmitriev, with numbers at the ready, proved that even in the complete absence of democracy, growth is not only possible, it is - including in the vile Putin Russia.

That is, Kasparov repeats that the educated class, we can say, sits on suitcases, cries from powerlessness and is almost completely ready for emigration (which, for my part, I do not advise in every possible way and categorically again), because I was desperate, tired of fighting my head against the wall personified by Putin with Kamarila; And it will not be better in the near future, but most likely, alas, it will be worse. And how the market can exist in general in the absent free and independent court, a free and independent press, and Dmitriev in response: “Whatever we say, the Russian economy was able to recover after a very difficult blow in a crisis. And what is happening now, it seems, oil prices even lower than what was in 2007-08. We are not at the peak. But the Russian economy is at the peak. Objectively at the peak. A significant part of the industry has restored us, the incomes of the population are now 15% higher than they were before the crisis. And, in general, the country of this level did not know in its entire history. Objectively so. And to say that the whole business has stopped, it contradicts the elementary statistical facts. And besides, what we observe around. Now, if the whole business stopped, salaries in Russia could not grow by 10% in real terms by September last year. In just 9 months. We could not have the unemployment of the lowest in 20 years. Since the beginning of market reforms. ”

I hate long quotes, and quotes in general, but Dmitriev’s words should be read carefully in this program, because in what he said, I repeated, very important symptoms. He was not sold to the bloody regime , he did not claim that there is democracy in Russia, he simply confirmed with data in his hands that economic growth is little dependent on democracy, but had its own purely economic laws. This is a very important position, which is opposed to incredibly widespread not only in Russia traditional liberal mythologem that democracy is the shortest and only path to economic prosperity. That is, when we repeat that Russia is an authoritarian corrupt country with manipulatory, illusory, and not real democratic institutions, such as a court, press, elections, etc., we simultaneously claim that Russia is also economically rotted. And this is not so. At least, this condo liberal myth, supported by the majority of the authorities of the Western world, has long been refuted by the advanced economists and sociologists of the same West, but in Russia this simplified mythologem is still dominated by this, which, of course, is beneficial to its apologists.

Let's slow here. It is not about the fact that developed democratic institutions and parliamentary systems are not a blessing, so to speak. Fortunately (although those who are not sure of this can be understood), what is the good of what is called freedom that these institutions represent and support. But let's not defend our position with unusual means and deformed (more precisely - expired) concepts. Alas, no matter how much I would like to be different, but the flies are separately here, and the cutlets are separate. Flies, in our case - the personification of humanitarian values. Cutlets are the possibility of economic growth. I’m just for the humanitarian values ​​that I consider to be a more important measurement of society, especially such as ours-stubborn, ossified, powerless and disoriented. And not only China, which Dmitriev mentioned in the transfer, demonstrates enviable economic growth without any attempts to establish democratic institutions. Examples can be Chiles, and the same Singapore at the initial stage, and others. In any case, we must clearly understand that in the modern liberal theory there is more than one position that most Russian liberals adopted, but at least two. To protect the second - freedom separately, and the economy is separate, and they affect each other in a very obvious way - it is also possible.

For the Western world, the first concept - first freedom according to the European model, and then the economy - served as a source and justification of many already discredited marms : colonialism, expansionism, Eurocentrism. That is, we capture you not only for the fact that to free from our own tyrannical regimes (and at the same time to use it), but also to put you on modern rails, which inevitably lead to economic success. Do not lead. And the last “Arab Spring” is the next confirmation. The Arabs in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya rebelled not so much, dreaming of democracy in European or American way, but for two reasons: the first is poverty, the second is a lack of justice. These were not democratic revolutions, and therefore the appearance of parties and other democratic attributes does not lead to a decrease in injustice or economic growth. Moreover, most likely, justice and economic growth (at least in this case) are something like antonyms. Because the democratic-parliamentary component itself does not lead to economic prosperity that Mikhail Dmitriev proved in his speeches, depriving the condo liberals of any arguments. And sometimes speechless.

Of course, it is more difficult to defend the argument that the so -called freedom is good in itself, and not in an applied manner, than to assure that freedom is a step towards a rich, economically prestigious and equally desirable life. But it is better to be honest than to repeat these liberal propaganda mantras about the impossibility of a prosperous economy without free ships and independent press. Courts and press, freedom of conscience and in general freedom, including political, as, indeed, freedom from stereotypes - represent self -sufficient value, they should be protected without constant references to the economy. A disgusting regime hangs on our neck, which, thanks to oil rent, managed to raise the level of economic life, but it did not become less disgusting from this.

Moreover, he protects his position with an appeal just to the economy. And many people feel these on themselves, and assureing them that economic growth only it seems to them that it cannot be without the same ships and presses is the same as saying that one should not believe in their reflection in the mirror. So, we must tell the truth, no matter how unpleasant it is. Russia did not cease to be incredibly neglected, socially flawed, impoverished in its provincial and non -city manifestations. But economic growth takes place. Putin invited society to exchange freedom for economic growth, and society agreed in his widest slic. Everything else remains - a group of dishonest and cruel people in power, which gives out their interests for the interests of the country, unprecedented corruption and dizzying, total theft, lies and obscurantism in an embrace with the most conservative version of Orthodoxy, the desire to rule forever and not to let potential competitors even into the hallway of the world created. All this is worthy of ensuring that society rebels and achieves the overthrow of this regime with the power that it is capable of. But you still do not need to simplify. It’s more expensive for yourself.

Screenshot from the Radio Radio Echo Moscow