 I
continue to believe that boycotting the presidential election is the only
moral response to the anti-democratic structure of governance created in
Russia. This is not an evasion
of civic duties, but a display of personal maturity as a citizen. Andrei
Sakharov wrote on more than one occasion: "In the end, only a moral
choice is the most pragmatic choice."
Becoming a dissident was a moral choice. The pragmatic consequence of
this, as well as personal choice of every dissident was its political
success of the end of the 1980s -beginning of 1990s, the Gorbachev era
and Gorbachev himself. And the following failure (I resent saying a "collapse")
led to the present situation, as the new-old political and intellectual
elite of the post-Soviet recruitment completely turned down the moral
component in transforming the country.
It will be dull to innumerate all the things: the voucher (and pre-voucher)
privatisation, voting "by heart", voting for the appointed heir,
agreement of the Duma on liquidation of a two-chamber parliament and demolition
of the Constitution, acceptance of the war in Chechnya and later of the
elections in Chechnya, liquidation of an independent mass media and many
other things.
All these steps taken almost silently or caused a slight disturbance,
and often on the call of the so-called democrats from the government,
the Duma, creative unions, science and even human rights organisaitons.
And was always accompanied by banalities like "politics is the art
of the impossible" and "politics and morality are mutually exclusive".
However, following these principles against the moral choice is always
"the goal justifying means" and finally the means to totalitarism,
fascism and bolshevism.
The two right-wing parties should have understood this well before the
parliamentary elections. And used the boycott tactics then. But they in
a miniature repeated the German collision of 1932 - the fight of communists
with social democrats which resulted in Hitler's ascendance to power in
1933.
Failing to get into the Duma they failed to understand how lucky they
are. Open your eyes and clear your minds: those elected to the Duma are
the unlucky ones.
Pity the Communists, Zhirinovsky, Rogozin and Glaziev. They will never
represent Russia at the Council of Europe, never serve as deputy prime
ministers at plenary sessions. Now they will only have the right to collect
their salaries and other benefits, and dutifully keep silent.
History, and the "Veshnyakov-style" elections, have given YABLOKO
and the Union of Right-Wing Forces a real opportunity to unite with the
nation under the boycott slogan, anyway, to unite with a considerable
part of the electorate. It would be a great mistake if they did not avail
themselves of this opportunity.
See also:
Link1
Link2
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