Sunday, July 12, 2020

Orthodox Fundamentalists Present Putin with New Program for Isolating and Developing Russia


Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 10 – Russian Orthodox fundamentalists are challenging not only the Moscow Patriarchate but also the Kremlin as well, insisting that they represent a key even defining component of the Russian nation and must be listened to concerning the directions the country should be choosing.

            Until recently, the expression “Orthodox fundamentalists” was rarely used. People talked about Muslim fundamentalists all the time but seldom recognized that fundamentalism exists in all religions, including Russian Orthodoxy. Now that is beginning to change (carnegie.ru/commentary/82167 and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/07/pandemic-bringing-russian-orthodox.html).

            But so far, most of the attention, at least in the case of Russia, has focused on the way in which the fundamentalists within Orthodoxy, such as Shiigumen Sergey represent a threat to the Moscow Patriarchate. But fundamentalists in Orthodoxy like fundamentalists in Islam have a broader political agenda, and that is now coming to the fore.

            The URA news agency interviews one of the leaders of the Orthodox fundamentalists who is close to Power: businessman Konstant Malofeyev, who owns the Tsargrad television channel and describes himself as “an Orthodox patriot but who is more accurately categorized as a leader of the fundamentalists (ura.news/articles/1036280611).

            Around him, he says, are people like Nikita Mikhalkov, Sergey Glazyev and even although only in part Patriarch Kirill; and they appeal primarily to Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov rather than to Premier Mikhail Mishustin.  But they place particular importance in reaching Vladimir Putin and have good evidence that he listens to their ideas. 

            Inspired by that, the group has presented to the Kremlin a 500-age program on how to change Russia’s course and promote development by means of blocking the export of capital, lowering interest rates, and promoting genuine protectionism so as to allow for the re-industrialization of the country.

            He and his allies see themselves locked in a battle with liberal economists like Gref, Chubays, Kudrin and their supporters. None of their programs has worked because they have focused narrowly on economics and failed to see that development must involve far more, including demographic, cultural, and spatial growth.

            If the liberals are followed, Russia will be ten cities surrounded by empty tundra. If his ideas are, Malofeyev says, there will be 200 cities and Russia will flourish.  Russia is and much remain a unitary state, but Moscow must distribute more money to the regions rather than holding all that it takes in or worse sending it abroad.

            Russia must dispense with the idea that democracy is either sufficient or necessary. It is “a very artificial model,” the Orthodox fundamentalist says. Dictatorship is necessary to counter the tendency of democracy to reduce everything to show business, something that gets in the way of doing the right thing.

            Further, Malofeyev insists, there really is a 2024 problem. Putin likely will remain, but if he decides to go – “anything can happen” – there is a great danger that the liberals will stage a comeback. After all, there are so many of them in office and only Ulyukayev “thank God” is in prison where they should all be.

            The Orthodox businessman says he has been a monarchist since the age of 16 and has no intention of changing his convictions. Unfortunately, many Russians because of Soviet propaganda have a negative idea of monarchism, but their love for Stalin shows that they remain monarchists at heart.

            And he concludes by observing that the pandemic has performed an important service with regard to the church. It has driven out the hangers’ on among the laity and made clear which hierarchs are really committed Orthodox and which are merely careerists.  Thus it has had a “cleansing” effect that can only be welcomed.

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