Serguei Kara-Murza. Text N 5

The Article:

NOT CAPITALISM AND NOT SOCIALISM... BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE?.

Moscow: Journal "Economic theory, analysis, practice" (ETAP), 2018, ¹2.

URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ne-kapitalizm-i-ne-sotsializm-a-chto-u-nas

DOI: 10.24411/2071-6435-2018-10013

Key words: society and state / traditional society / crisis of traditional society / system of life order

KARA-MURZA S.G. NOT CAPITALISM AND NOT SOCIALISM... BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE? WHERE DO WE COME FROM? WHAT ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE GOING?

There is the article author’s view on the current situation whereby Russia is, the view on its place in the world community, the state of the political establishment, the prospects of its future are determined.

The analysis of the situation affects a rather historical period of the country (pre-revolutionary Russiathe Revolution of 1917-Perestroika-recent period).

The factors, conditions, political mechanisms that determined the political strategy of the ruling elite of our country, including the political attitude of Western Europe, its interests in relation Russia and its future are considered in the work.

The article author shows and comments on the political potential of contemporary Russia, its failure in determining the true prospects of the country’s development, determining its future.

In support of the author’s viewpoint there is revealed the crisis of the traditional society of Russia in the course of modernization; discovered the issues of peripheral capitalism; the role of the Revolution of 1917 which directed development “bypassing capitalism” on the way of socialism in a nonlinear paradigm is explained. Approving the views the article author relies on the historical facts concerning the crisis of the foundation of the old solidarity of the intelligentsia and urban generations (1960); the collapse of the political system, the collapse of the USSR; the emergence of antiSoviet project and the shift to Western capitalism; it justifies the utopia of convergence, systematic crisis and disintegration of contemporary Russian society.

The paper also presents arguments that reveal the role of the West in organizing of constant pressure on Russia, argues approaches to strengthening the sovereignty and balance of social relations in the country; there are demonstrated the conflicts of values and the expected image of Russia’s future. On the basis of a clear analysis of the historical situation, its expert assessment the article author concludes that Russia’s choice is under the following severe restrictions: it is impossible to restore the Soviet system, it is impossible to create capitalism of its type under the Western’s prohibitions.

At the same time, there is a real opportunity to create institutions and systems based on their nature and culture.

The article author believes that in Russia there is about to happen a public dialogue and the need to find a way to negotiate the main communities with rational ideologies.