The Short Happy Life of a Russian Anti-Corruption Investigator
I am glad I was not the only one to notice Sean’s several attempts to link capitalism to Russian systemic problems that result in rampant lawlessness and corruption. And it is only natural that such a juxtaposition eventually lead to Roger’s conclusion that there must be something uniquely Russian – be it in genes or culture that make us Russians preserve our violent and uncivilized ways.
Russia is hardly a model of capitalism. Sean knows it very well and we have discussed this on his blog on occasions agreeing that it is very difficult to tell where the state ends and the society begins in Russia. Is Gazprom a private or a state company? Rosneft? What about the myriad of quasi private entities under the Ministry of Transportation? Can anyone imagine a modern capitalist country where a Minister of Communications (Putin’s friend Leonid Reiman)owns 2 billion dollars worth of …. telecommunication assets?
There are several confusions at play here. The most basic concept of capitalism is that of economic and social formation based on private ownership of means of production. And since there isn’t an absolute fully private capitalism, the distinction is in proportional sizes of private vs public sectors. Earlier in history private ownership barely existed under dominance of Feudal state control of means of production. At some point Lenin very appropriately referred to his contemporary capitalism as “State Monopolistic Capitalism.” He thought it was the final stage of capitalism. Needless to say he was wrong, it was a final stage, but of feudalism.
Blaming faults and excesses of late feudalism on capitalism has been one of the favorite tactics from the left since 1848.
This confusion is also muddied by artificial distinction between communism of the USSR and feudalism. Both have state control and ownership of means of production. Both have elite classes that ran things. Both are based on confiscating labor and forcing peasants to stay on the land. Differences between USSR and feudalism are cosmetic and similarities are systemic. The USSR was Ottoman Empire with nukes, nothing more.
The reason, Roger, for ills of contemporary Russia is that it has not changed enough yet. It is still very much feudal. Capitalism will eventually prevail and will create a civil society there.
Kim, Sean is no communist and he is hardly a Marxist either.
