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<div><b>In Defense of Society: An Open Platform</b><br>
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<div><i><b>Editorial note: This manifesto was penned by a group of
Russian activists and intellectuals about the current political
situation in Russia, and what must be done to change it. The manifesto
was originally published in Russian on</b></i> <a
href="http://www.colta.ru/articles/society/11721"><i><b>Colta.ru</b></i
></a><i><b>, and available in English in full on</b></i> <a
href=
"http://conversations.e-flux.com/t/in-defense-of-society-a-manifesto/4065"
><i><b>e-flux conversations</b></i></a><i><b>.</b></i></div>
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<i>The ruling elite has made full use of the apathy and fragmentation
of our society. The state media bursts with loyalist propaganda,
presenting all protests as the result of manipulation by foreign
enemies, while its main opposition is dominated by right-wing
liberals: apologists of the free market and privatization. A position
that would connect the left with democratic agendas is virtually never
expressed. We believe that the only alternative to poverty, barbarism
and the disintegration of society is an alliance for the development
of common political positions and programs for collective
action.</i><br>
<br>
Today in Russia everyone is talking about the crisis. However, its
causes are much deeper than the foreign policy of the government,
corruption and pressure from the West. The causes can be found in the
exhaustion of the post-Soviet capitalist model established in the
1990s. This is the foundation on which the current regime has grown.
In this model, the privatization of Soviet property has been
inextricably linked with the privatization of political power.
Economic violence was an inevitable consequence of the turn towards
authoritarian presidential power that began in 1993. Defined by
nationwide de-industrialization and the predatory exploitation of
natural resources in the interests of the elite, the Putin regime is
simply a natural evolution of Yeltsin's. The irony of this situation
is that Russia, with its vast natural resources, is fully capable of
generating sufficient revenue from the export of raw materials to
strengthen its collective economic and social wellbeing. Instead, the
Russian government has introduced a domestic policy of austerity,
similar to what EU has forced on Greece.<br>
<br>
Degradation-political, intellectual, and social-has become the
essence of this system. The result is not only the fragmentation of
society, but also its helplessness in the face of repression,
religious obscurantism and, most importantly, the continuous attack on
social rights.<br>
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In the early 2000s, the authorities opted for "de-politicization"
proclaiming stability to be the main objective. The conflict in
Ukraine and the active complicity of Russian authorities have
contributed to the simulation of a new patriotic consensus. But this
is based on a dishonest and unsustainable ideology. The declared unity
of the people is false. Official propaganda pursues a strategy of
constant distraction as developments in foreign policy have become the
justification for anti-social policies and the suppression of basic
civil liberties.<br>
<br>
The "anti-crisis" plan of the government is effectively
identical to the prescriptions of the so-called austerity policies
that have been implemented in Greece, Spain, and Italy since the late
2000s. These policies have led to increasing impoverishment and
unemployment in these countries. The government's plan includes
financial support of big banks and corporations, permanent extraction
of funds from the population through an increase in direct and
indirect taxes, the raising of retirement age, cuts in social
programs, and the increasing privatization of the public sector.<br>
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<div>In Russia, such measures are combined with the sharp devaluation
of the ruble, the government's refusal of salary and pension
indexation, in addition to corruption and the embezzlement of the
national budget. But if the European elites expropriate their wealth
from the population in the name of economic growth, the Russian
government does not even offer this pretense. It has no clear plans or
prospects and lives only for the moment. Instead of a long-term
strategy, it has resorted to filling the holes in the budget by
implementing massive cuts to education and health care. Next on the
agenda is an increase in retirement age.</div>
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