Even if a Democrat Came to Power, Russians Would Want a Return to Dictatorship, Filippov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 29 – Russians can offer many explanations for why their country, with its educated populace and impressive natural resources, hasn’t developed and is unlikely to develop in the future as places with less impressively trained people and far fewer resources have, Pyotr Filippov says.

            But they are as yet unwilling to face up to the reality that the fundamental obstacle to their country’s shift from dictatorship and stagnation to democracy and development is not some external factor but rather lies within the Russian people themselves and their preference for one-man rule rather than responsible government, the commentator says (ej.ru/?a=note&id=36263).

            Unlike the West Europeans who passed through democratic revolutions in the 18^th century, Russians have not and instead, like many other countries, have remained in what can be called a natural state in which a few rule the many in the interests of the few and with the many prepared to put up with that out of fear of foreigners or of each other.

            These new democratic orders are sufficiently fragile that they can and have decayed back into the natural state. That happens “if in the culture of the people are not rooted the institutes of democracy and if the majority of citizens live off hopes for ‘a good monarch’ who will make everyone happy.’”

            Such backtracking can occur even in what appear to be well-developed democracies “if it is sanctioned by the backward culture of the people and if the majority of citizens are driven by the desire to trust their fate to a sympathetic dictator who inspires trust,” Filippov says.  Even the US has come close. But Russia has not yet made a transition from which a retreat could happen.

            Because of the attitudes and expectations of its people, he continues, Russia today has a natural state. “Its democracy is decorative only,” and the real freedoms of the people are trampled upon, largely because the people are more than willing to follow the siren song of the latest dictator.

            “Our fellow citizens in their overwhelming majority,” the Russian commentator says, “do not understand what is blocking the modernization of their country and do not know the mechanisms developed countries use to rein in the selfish interests of the bureaucracy.” They aren’t in the main even interested in trying. They complain but do nothing.

            Moreover, Filippov continues, “among Russians, the overwhelming majority does not want to get involved in politics or to protest.” They know a lot about gadgets but they know nothing about how politics in modern countries works. And that ignorance extends to many of the country’s lawyers as well.

            As a result, Russia remains “mired in the Middle Ages. We like the natives of Africa simply don’t have the knowledge required for the modernization of our country and raising our standard of living.” And we thus continue to follow those who make promises rather than demand that they and the state itself obey the will of the people.

            For Russia to be able to modernize, Filippov argues, “there must be a sufficient number of our fellow citizens who occupy an influential position and understand what changes are needed in our lives.” And for that to happen, there must be a much larger number of citizens who understand this as well and are ready to support such change.

            Unfortunately, at the present time, there is neither the one nor the other; and as a result, there is every chance that even if by some miracle an individual committed to democracy should assume supreme power, he or she would rapidly be overwhelmed by this cultural baggage, a dictatorship would reemerge, and the chance for modernization would again be lost.