WHO WILL SAVE RUSSIA?
Igor Muradyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
16:41 05/12/2012
Why has the Russian political nationalism failed? I first asked this
question to Igor Shafarevich and then to dozens of Russian apologists
of patriotism, traditionalism and nationalism. Reflections took place
in any zone except the zone of slip of national-patriotic forces.
Currently a lot of skeptics have realized that were Russian nationalism
OK, the Soviet Union would still exist. All kinds of expressions
of radical groups (or rather gangs of radical ruffians) in Russia
represent anything but expressions of nationalism since political
nationalism is a deep and meaningful humanistic idea.
Political nationalism of a big nation will transform into an
imperialistic doctrine at some stage. As far as it is known, profound
academic ethnic and social studies in Russia have found that Russia
has inherited the imperial past and a huge space which have lost
their value and importance for the Russian people and society. This
state of the nation with a nuclear potential is rather dangerous.
Russia feels traditional and quite new external threats but the
main threat for the country is deep economization of the national
consciousness which has reduced to the level of absurd and the far
end of imagination. The Russian foreign policy is fully dependent
on the goals of making money. Furthermore, this idea is supported by
all the groups of the population and the society. In Russia there is
not a political elite, there is only economic elite, including the
top government.
Trouble comes not only when there is an opposition but also when there
is no self-critic in the government. In such a country as Russia with
old military traditions there has been zero indignation with such
degrading treatment of the military forces. By the level of corruption
Russia is at the same level with the most backward countries.
The political leadership and the political class, as well the
community which is more or less aware of politics cannot accept
its foreign partners as partners. Any success of the partners in
economy or in foreign affairs or even in army building encounters a
hostile or unfriendly attitude in Moscow. Russia is deprived of real
partners and allies because they are constantly waiting for claims
to its sovereignty.
The other problem is why Russia wants to limit the sovereignty of its
partners? It is hard to imagine that Russia is interested in building
up a market of millions of consumers to sell to them its resources
at “internal” prices. The Russian elite do not need even their own
passport-holders so why should they want to spend additional millions?
The answer is simple. Nobody is going to feed extra millions
to consumers. The point is about the goals of demonstration of
pseudo-success and claims to the participants of the CIS and CSTO.
In regard to these goals the unserious idea of the Eurasian Union has
been put forth. The country on the verge of collapse is set to create
a decentralized empire. Who foiled and continues to foil Russia’s
plans? It could be anyone but not nationalists who are now in the
status of sectarians and outcasts of the major social groups of the
Russian empire.
In the modern world a strong nation does not need a decorative empire
but clearly aligned partners who are linked with Russia by obliging
relations and positive expectations. Currently Russia needs “internal
allies” more than ever. It needs partners among ethnicities which are
historically linked to Russia. This “union” is necessary because if
Russia collapses, another global geopolitical catastrophe will follow.
The Russian bureaucracy is unable to compete with representatives
of other peoples participating in the Russian political and social
process. Therefore gangs of radical ruffians with signs of oligophrenia
on their faces have been let out to the streets.
Russia will need to be saved but by who? If the Western community sets
to “save” Russia, it will be a different Russia, or it will be called
Eurasian Union. A great nation differs from a simple nation by a strong
awareness of who is an enemy and who is a friend. For the time being,
all that is expected from Russia is stupid pressure and blackmail to
force Armenia to return from the pro-Atlantic-European track, step on
the track for the Eurasian project, as well as possibly demonstrate
loyalty to the Russian government. Here is the imperialistic idea. How
will it end up?