Russian liberalism, in fact, is very simple. Each Russian government, which comes at a low oil price, is liberal . Primakov’s government came at a low oil price. It would seem that Primakov, God himself ordered him to be a non-Bell, and as a result, the country received the liberal government, the most liberal that we had ever had. Why? Because it did nothing. When the low price of oil, recovery in the brains occurs by itself.

Perhaps, in the post-Soviet space, as nowhere in the world, the economic crisis affects not only the economic sphere (finances, industry, transport, services), how much it undermines, and in places and destroys the foundations of the life structure that has developed as a result of seventeen years of independence. The global crisis is now the most hits in groups, which most gained benefits from the previous economic policy .

From the editorial office. Review of the book: Richard Pips. Russian conservatism and its criticism: the study of political culture. - M.: New Publishing House, 2008. * * * In the middle of the XIX century, the great Russian poet Fedor Tyutchev in his most famous quatrain formulated the reasons for the not subject to Russian history and Russian reality to rational understanding, especially from the outside.

The most important thing in a conversation about the political system is the question of its stability. The political system where people are not preparing for the revolution, uprising or various other forms of active protest is stable. And if such events still occur, then the system copes with them, given the interests of both the protesters and the whole people as a whole. In other words, the legitimate and effective systems built on the consensus of elites are stable .

From the editorial office. Richard Pipes (born in 1923) - Honorary Professor of the History of Harvard University, Sovietologist, author of books on the history of Russia. He headed the Center for the Study of Russia by Harvard University before in 1976 he headed the “team B” under the CIA of the United States, which studied the “Soviet threat”. Under President Reagan, Richard Pipes was part of the National Security Council (headed the Bureau for Eastern European and Soviet issues).

From the editorial office. In 2009, the 25 years of the socio-political "forecast" of George Orwell performs. Of course, I mean "1984". Although the book itself was published in 1949, everyone celebrates exactly twenty -five years of Orwell prophecies, who have come true and did not come to life. This text is about them. * * * Looking in the face of unpleasant facts: plot-thematic essays George Orwell; The compiler and author of the preface is George Packer; ed.

Democracy involves a high degree of trust in power. This is the point of view of so many political scientists, including the classics of this science - the authors of the famous "civil culture" of the late Gabriel Almond and the now resonant Sydney Verba. Democratic delegation of the powers of citizens will not make any sense to their representatives if citizens in advance doubt that these representatives will act contrary to their interests.

In his speech on February 9 at the CCI, Vladislav Surkov determined the level of polemics in the country on the merits: that is, this is not a political disassembly, but a fundamental issue in the debate in essence of economic philosophy. “Sterilizers” are Alexei Kudrin and his entire team that defines financial policy, including the Central Bank.

RG: Dear Dmitry Andreevich, do you agree with the statement that there is no counter -elite in today's Russia? Dmitry Muratov: The real problem of Russia is in the absence of a real elite , the power elite. The elite is distinguished by two signs - competence and compassion. In our elite, or the one who calls himself, gluing all kinds of passes on the frontal glasses of his cars, to the State Duma, etc., there is neither competence nor compassion.

There is a legend known from the words of Vladimir Polevanov about how Anatoly Chubais allegedly told him, then the chairman of the State Property Committee, the following: “ What are you worried about these people? Well, it will die out thirty million - they did not fit into the market. Do not think about it. New will grow up . " Although Chubais himself repeatedly refuted this story, the phrase became winged. From time to time it was attributed to Gaidar, Hakamad and other liberals.

Confirmation of the stable presence of George Orwell in Russian everyday life can serve as two things. The first is the historical memory and traditions of those who read Orwell in Samizadt and for whom the Orwell books were the catechesis of resistance to the regime.

Review of: G. G. Shpet. Essay on the development of Russian philosophy. TI M.: Rosspen, 2008. 592 p. *** The new edition of the famous Spetovsky “Essay ...” is a useful and timely matter.

The upcoming anniversary - a centenary of the release of the collection "Milestones" (1909) - will most likely become another confirmation of the historical indestructibility of a narrow set of "national ideas". “The fate of the Russian intelligentsia”-in modifications and numerous versions of this dimensionless and eternal topic “Seek” the entire library of the main cultural and political plots.