If we look at our established system of social relations from the point of view of sociobiology, then the skeleton of a prehistoric animal is revealed, which cannot be renewed with any cosmetics. This is important to understand, since many smart people on various forums propose to limit ourselves to similar (cosmetic) methods of modernizing society, suggest moving the closet and rearranging the ottoman and, in their words, a new happy life will begin.
If modernization cannot be done with the help of reason, then it will happen on its own, consistently launching a lot of negative social consequences. No elite can stop evolution for a long time. Illusions only add to the consequences.
Putinism is a system of social relations associated with the name of the person under whom it arose. This is a system of predominantly state capitalism with market relations, built in the interests of a narrow circle of "friends" of the leader and friends of "friends", with democratic institutions prescribed in the constitution, but inoperative, lack of guarantees of property rights, and strong influence of power structures on economic agents.
In a sense, it is a disease of a social organism, which consists in replacing healthy cells with cells that have lost the ability to exchange control information with other cells, but, nevertheless, are capable of aggressively multiplying. In the body, they appear as a result of mutations, in a social society as a result of a shocking change in the social environment, when habitual landmarks shift, when it seems that now any behavior is acceptable and the slogan is becoming fashionable - "Everything that is not forbidden is allowed."
Many types of behavior were not prohibited in the 90s, in the collapsed Soviet empire with its excessive system of prohibitions. And the prohibitions of some types of behavior, developed over a long historical period in a social society, cannot be canceled, they are clamps, and without them societies begin to disintegrate. It is the prohibitions of certain types of behavior in society that make the existence of society itself possible. The system of prohibitions is spelled out in the MEMs of the human subconscious and is supported by the existing orders in society.
In the 90s, the old prohibitions disappeared, new rules of conduct established by bandits automatically appeared, these rules, oddly enough, save the state from disintegration into atoms for a certain period of time, because any business needs some understandable rules of existence to rely on.
The system established by the bandits is gradually coming under the auspices of law enforcement agencies, fashionable crimson jackets are being replaced by shoulder straps. Some of the bandits perish in a showdown, others end up behind bars, and others find their place in the new emerging power structures. Power structures are undergoing a rapid evolution. The new President of Russia V. Putin is actively involved in building a new system of power. The democratic stratum in power, which emerged around the interregional parliamentary group, did not have enough resources to lead the country onto a democratic path of development.
Of the two aspects necessary for the modernization of Soviet society, only one was chosen. The creation of a market mechanism in the economy, in the absence of democratic institutions in society, led to the development of wild capitalism, passed by the developed countries 100 years ago. This path was approved by Yeltsin, who supported Gaidar's economic reforms, where there was no talk of political reforms. Yeltsin was then very worried about the existence of himself in power.
The system that emerged as a result of evolution under existing constraints differs from the Soviet system of the late period in that it is openly (not hidden) aimed at serving the interests of a narrow circle of individuals (elite) located close to the very center of the source of power. The main constraint in the creation of the system was the mentality of the power structures and the emerging oligarchs that existed at that time. All American advisers, about whom it is much said that they are to blame for everything, had influence only because the mentality of the Russian elite allowed them to influence. The elite saw this influence as possible preferences for themselves.
The interests of the people are served by the existing system of power on a leftover principle, after all the ambitions of the elite have been satisfied. Unlike the Soviet system, with its obligatory ideology of Marxism-Leninism, the maintenance of which required resources, since this maintenance was seen as an investment in the future, Putinism envisages investment in maintaining its own ideology of neoliberalism, the ideology of enriching the elect.
The propagandists of Putinism, "for a little bit" from the master's table, "explain" all budget expenditures that are not aimed at raising the people's welfare by the need to fight a hostile environment. Moreover, the external environment was prudently made hostile by the system of Putinism itself, having lost all the achievements of detente achieved during the Gorbachev period. For uncivilized behavior, Russia was expelled from J8, then imposed with numerous sanctions, it became an international outcast. Sanctions are consistently imposed on specific individuals who promote actions that contradict the established practice of international relations.
Propaganda in Russia achieved great success, driving into the consciousness of Russians the idea of the enemies surrounding Russia, due to the fact that the historically external hostile factor was already considered a given for all 70 years of the Soviet period. But then this reality was explained by the confrontation between the social structures of the West and the East. Now this difference is no longer there, but they are trying to preserve the idea of two irreconcilable systems, since it is beneficial to the elite in order to write off inflated defense spending, military intervention in the affairs of other states, and ineffective government.
All these unjustified expenses arise from the irrepressible desire of the elites to pilfer resources into their own pockets. If construction is launched somewhere, then it is plundered, because, friends of the authorities have found ways to get kickbacks, bribes and other preferences from this construction site. This is the path of development (cultural evolution) that took shape in Putin's Russia.
In the first Putin period, when the embryos of democracy had not yet been defeated, the question was raised about the possibility of Russia's joining the European community. By the way, Trotsky first expressed this idea a hundred years ago. Trotsky, for some reason, was not rehabilitated, and his ideas remained banned.
However, the Russian elite soon realized that joining the structures of Western society would curtail sovereignty, as an opportunity to create arbitrariness in the country. In this case, citizens will be able to complain to an independent court. This would make it difficult for the elite to obtain illegal income through theft and corruption. The elite could not agree with this.
MARKET RELATIONS AND DEMOCRACY.
Market relations provide rapid economic growth under certain conditions, but they alone do not open the road that "leads to the Temple" without democratic institutions. Economic and political reforms must proceed in parallel to ensure the evolutionary development of society in the interests of the entire society.
It is widely believed that the market is self-regulating. This is a mistake if you take the words literally. It is not the market that has the property of self-regulation, but human society, any population, has it. Self-regulation is a property of living matter, life, and not a market mechanism. Therefore, it would be more correct to talk about the possibility of self-regulation of economic mechanisms in market conditions. Political preconditions are needed for the market to work for the benefit of all. Under feudalism, serfdom, slavery, self-regulation is difficult. When politicians tighten the screws in society, self-regulation processes become more difficult.
From this it is not necessary to conclude that tightening the nuts is always harmful. It is known that in a well-assembled engine, all nuts must be tightened, each with a certain force. There are times when the nuts need to be tightened, but engine repair is never limited to tightening the nuts.
Marxism blocked the very possibility of using market relations, due to the dogma of its ideology. So the attempt to build socialism with a "human face" was harshly suppressed in 1968 in Czechoslovakia by the tanks of the Warsaw Treaty.
Putinism, on the other hand, blocks the development of democratic institutions, without which market relations, recreate the system of wild capitalism from the time of the initial accumulation of capital. Some nuts are tightened tightly, and self-regulation processes are difficult here, other nuts at the highest level, on the contrary, are only indicated. There is theft and corruption. For friends, the most favored nation regime is established, and karate coaches become billionaire builders, because they have access to the body, for the rest everything is according to the law, the law adopted by United Russia in the Duma.
If you go out into the street to show that you do not agree with this or that decision of the authorities, or if you share information on social networks that one of the leader's friends is shamelessly stealing, you will come under criminal pressure, but if you steal a bank with all the means, then the punishment may be the need move to live in England. Such "punishments" are not prescribed anywhere, but are used for "friends".
Putinism presupposes the management of the state and business according to a plan approved in narrow circles, implemented with the help of power structures, with their ideology of vertical management, reminiscent in this aspect of the communist system.
But in communist countries, power structures are in second place, performing a service function. After all, the ideology of law enforcement agencies - to guard, monitor, inform, steal other people's secrets is absolutely not suitable for effective government. Because you cannot steal and use someone else's effective management system, because an effective system is only for people with a certain mentality.
Putinism brought (security officials) service structures to leading positions. And here already no theoretical efficiency of market relations can compensate for errors in the architecture of the management system.
Gaidar and Chubais set themselves the limited task of introducing market relations instead of a planned economy. Apparently, the creation of democratic institutions was left of the brackets. They coped with their task at a slightly lower cost than Stalin incurred when trying to develop agriculture through collectivization, introducing a system that Stolypin had fought against. Stalin's priority was not the development of agriculture, but the ability to command it.
But now the Yeltsin period came to an end, and, leaving BN said that he had done everything he could. But realizing that he had failed to do as he wanted, he entrusted the task of transforming wild capitalism into civilized capitalism to Putin.
You can understand Yeltsin, because Putin then (1991-2002)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPtjT4D5Meo
was not (did not look mentally) the way it looks today, under the influence of the changed environment, Later, Yeltsin realized his mistake in choosing a successor. After all, BN believed: "We need millions of owners, not a handful of millionaires." Under Putin, a handful of dollar billionaires have emerged in a poor and underdeveloped country.
The old party members at one time, when nominating people, were interested in their origin. This is correct from the point of view of sociobiology, since the MEMs of the subconscious are formed at a young age, and then appear depending on the situation.
MEMs of a serviceman who found himself at the pinnacle of power, formed in an environment with a rigid hierarchy, later, when by the will of fate this man was in power, gave rise to a population of elite with complementary features. Such traits attract people to each other according to the principle of complementarity. The unifying force was the desire to get rich quickly and then legitimize what was inherited as a result of privatization.
In the conditions created for a certain circle of people (their own circle), the processes of self-organization formed a vertical of power with the United Russia party, which, in the conditions artificially created by the leader (breeder) (its everything, the rest according to the law) becomes the dominant party. The United Russia party has become the dominant parliamentary party for some time. A person, being a social (even eusocial) being, has the property (tendency) to group into groups to achieve success in the life cycle in accordance with his mentality, as well as the collective mentality given by the complementary features of the formed groups.
As one of the oligarchs explained on radio "Dozhd", the size of the business must correspond to your access to the power structures. When access to "the body" decreases as a result of various circumstances, you have to reduce your business, if you do not want to lose it entirely.
NOBODY COULD DO ANYTHING.
Really, at that time no one understood, did not know that it was necessary to simultaneously introduce both market relations and democratic institutions?
Was there a path to a more civilized market? Yes, I was. This path was widely discussed and was rejected first by Gorbachev and then by Yeltsin.
It is presented in the program "500 days" by G. Yavlinsky. This program combines two inseparable parts of the modernization of society - political changes and economic reforms. This is her strength. Without democracy, market relations lead to what we have now, and democracy, even embryonic, but without a market, leads to the just collapsed communist system.
However, the elite, with the existing mentality of certain aggressive-minded layers, turned out to be categorically disagree with the program. There were no forces that could guide the reforms along this path. Quite a few influential people chose to insist on a different path that offered them more attractive opportunities. The beneficiaries of the reforms led the people to a breakthrough, not where there would be minimal costs for the people, but where more trophies could be privatized. "And there is always not enough sweet gingerbread for everyone."
For cultural evolution, it is not enough just to voice the right idea; it accepts an idea supported by an aggressively obedient majority in the governing bodies. This small majority becomes the elite, and thought is a guide to action. The mentality of the Komsomol members, red directors, bandits and a layer of nomenklatura leaders was unable to accept Yavlinsky's program. From their point of view, they turned out to be right, since they received good bonuses as a result of the Gaidar reforms.
But the path of reforms can be successful only if it takes into account the existing mentality of the population. Gaidar's reforms divided society, breaking the mentality through the knee, seizing all the savings of the population, causing inflation in 93 years at 2600%, which destroyed the monetary overhang. And loans-for-shares auctions, in which huge chunks of state property actually went into clingy hands for free, contributed to the emergence of a caste of oligarchs.
LIBERALS AND NEOLIBERALS.
Market relations without democracy can ensure the well-being of those in power, and not of the entire people, since they do not create motivation for effective work among a large part of the active population.
Liberals in the sense of Hayek and Friedman believe that all people are equal, and from birth they have certain rights (human rights), and that they should be given - regardless of race, national, religious and cultural affiliation, etc. - equal opportunities (civil rights), equal starting conditions have been created - and then let them realize their opportunities, compete. The less state in the economy, the better.
The task of the state is different - to create “rules of the game” for everyone, which do not allow owners, market players, economic agents to forget the simple truth that market relations should contribute to the development of the economy in the interests of all citizens of the country. When creating these rules, the state uses information from its citizens. For this, in fact, we need democracy.
Putinism is based on a caste of pseudo-liberals united in the United Russia party. Pseudo-liberals (neoliberals) in power structures believe that people are not equal and that equal opportunities for all pose a threat to those who are already in a privileged position. They consider it their main task to seize and hold the government of the state, in order then to suppress the “aliens” by the power of the state and create favorable conditions for “their own”. By manipulation and violence, they try to create the illusion that some restrictions are created by the state in order to protect themselves from hostile external interference. They manipulated elections to all structures into a pure formality, almost as it was during the communist rule.
Let us turn to a multicellular organism studied in biology, consisting of separate organs with a cellular structure. Genes in cells, as we have said many times, are not unconditional commanders that determine all aspects of an organism's development. Genes only partially determine the morphology and behavior of the whole organism.
The properties of genes are set at the molecular level. A hundred years ago, when genetics was born, some geneticists had the illusion that life processes at all levels, including in the environment of multicellular organisms and in their populations, are determined below at the molecular level (genetic determinism). Darwin's selection seemed to them a kind of anachronism of the era of sailing ships.
But later it was realized that gene activity is regulated by the external environment. Not all genes of the genome are given the right to work effectively in a particular cell. The need to adapt to the environment at all stages of the organism's development corrects the processes of ontogenesis.
The environment seems to be the same for all people only at first glance. For example, gene variants associated with depression are distributed roughly the same throughout the world. Nevertheless, depression of late age in our society is very common, and in traditional societies, where old people are not pensioners hidden in boxes of high-rise buildings, but respected elders in society, depression almost never occurs. Genes, as a rule, create a predisposition, and do not determine processes.
Only under the condition that genes and the environment jointly determine the processes of ontogenesis, organisms maintain homeostasis (stability). In social evolution, democratic institutions provide a connection between the elite (the elite is a kind of analogue of genes) with the population (the environment in this comparison).
Dictators see democratic institutions as an annoying burden. They believe that using violence and manipulation, creating a pocket parliament for the quick adoption of the laws they need, editing the constitution in their own interests, one can not only ensure the interests of a narrow circle of confidants, but also achieve rapid progress for the entire state.
But this is not the case. And the initiators of these processes, after a while, become convinced that the chosen development methodology leads to the fact that the entire population is brought to a stone ridge, one has to lie, explaining this by the intrigues of enemies who have stirred up the world ocean and, moreover, the shameless are out of step with us. The initiators themselves are powerless in the face of the impending danger.
Without developed institutions of democracy, without division of the branches of power, before our eyes, the elected president, after the deadlines have been canceled as a result of the reshaping of the constitution for himself, turns into a potential autocrat, returning the country to the era of a century ago. The descendants will not erect monuments to such an autocrat, the economy will not develop, because many people who could contribute to the development of the economy under the autocrat and oppressive pressure on business are not motivated to work honestly.
The change in the number of ordinary people, guided by the actual state of affairs, and not by the ideological incantations of the media, will increase over time, people will see their light. This change in the frequencies of MEMS in the population is a sign of cultural evolution.
When the number of such people reaches a certain critical level, a tough confrontation will ensue between the elite and the population. In processes with a threshold level, after reaching the critical mass, a chain reaction begins. I would like to avoid this. Such conflicts can set the country back several years, and we are retreating all the time.
WHY DID IT HAPPEN.
Gorbachev declared a policy of publicity. The significance of this step is underestimated by the current generation, and sometimes it is simply not understood. But this is the first step towards democracy, a political step that must be taken, for the path is 1000 km. starts from the first step. In Yeltsin's Russia, some attempts were made to introduce democratic procedures. A constitution was adopted establishing democratic institutions.
But in those days, the introduction of market relations into the economy seemed to be of paramount importance. By the first president of Russia, this task was largely accomplished with many costs. But in order for the market to work for the whole society, and not only for the elite, it is necessary to establish some red lines for everyone. This is possible only with the development of democratic institutions. Wild capitalism in the West turned into a civilized one over a fairly long period of time.
The transition from socialism to capitalism proved to be a difficult task. Yeltsin did what he could, built a wild gangster, but still capitalism. Choosing a successor, Yeltsin hoped that he would be able to fulfill the task of the transition to civilized capitalism, he believed that a strong hand of power was needed that could defeat the wild generic features of the system he built.
He chose as his successor a representative from the bowels of the KGB. It seemed to him that Putin, with sufficient intelligence and discipline, would be able to restore order, and the constitution would not allow sliding towards authoritarian rule.
But this young man from the organs had the mentality of a guardian of existing structures, and not of a creator capable of choosing a path of development in the interests of the majority. The security guard, in essence, does not think about tomorrow, his task is to preserve the "Status Quo" (in translation - return to the original state). The guard is not a strategist, he is a tactician. The path was chosen in the interests of a narrow circle of friends. For Putin, with his mentality absorbed in a system with a rigid vertical of power, it will be natural behavior to reproduce such a system. With this system, you can be a sybarite, proving to everyone that you are only a slave with an oar on the galleys.
The mentality of the guard can be observed in the watchdog, whose actions are limited either by a chain, or by the learned rules of behavior given by the owner. Dogs learn the hierarchy in the pack, perceive the owner as a leader, show him respect, like all pack animals. Stalin believed that gratitude motivated dogs. But, at the same time, he argued that gratitude is a canine disease. He himself was never grateful to anyone, prudently destroying his former comrades-in-arms so that they, God forbid, would not betray him.
Putin, on the other hand, has repeatedly shown favor to old friends. This is a good quality in everyday life. But for the leader of the country, this is not very great, because the leader's friends, feeling permissiveness, often behave in violation of the established rules, which leads to the corruption of the authorities and theft, and the high position of the people gives these negative phenomena a multiplying effect.
Putin also turned out to be a sybarite. He, according to him, is like a "galley slave rowing", but for some reason this slave does not want to give the paddle to anyone for 20 years. How can the phenomenon be explained? To unload himself, he gives the rough work to friends, taking the position of an arbiter and a wedding general at the same time. He used to be a wedding general at international meetings representing Russia. But after 2014, he is no longer welcome there.
Although Putinism as a system developed as a result of a process of self-organization, and in this sense is natural, the choice of another successor to B.N. (for example B. Nemtsov) could lead to a different trajectory of the development of society, because the environment would have to adapt to its mentality. The properties of the successor are very important in countries with still unsettled institutions, where management systems are more flexible.
When we start moving towards the goal, it is shifted to the side in our consciousness from its actual position due to vision aberration. With a long movement (when the ruler sits on the throne for many years), the trajectory of movement turns out to be a circle.
To exclude the movement in a circle, the leaders in the country must change. Each has its own aberration, and averaging gives the correct direction. But a person who has spent so much effort on creating a new track of development is often unable to give up the place of a leader. And the system of power with its independent courts and independent press has not been created, democratic institutions do not work. They seem to be there, but they don't work. And then authoritarian rule or even dictatorship arises. Many do not understand that the mind is under pressure from the subconscious.
Changing social conditions (external environment) forced Putin to change behavior. It seems mentally not the same as it was in 1991 or in 2000. But in fact, the changed circumstances cause the manifestation of already established mental traits that were not previously required.
An external observer interprets a change in behavior as a change in personality, but often it is simply the appearance of previously unclaimed properties of mentality in new conditions.
IMPOSSIBILITY OF EVOLUTION OF ELITES.
In order to cement his leading position, Putin has surrounded himself with old friends, allowing them to become billionaires. This is the inner circle for protection against the second-tier elite. This mistake tied his hands. This is a mistake from our point of view, but for the president of the sybarite it is a bulletproof vest. Rule and live with friends, fly with the Minister of Defense on a fishing weekend. It's a thrill. The nuclear briefcase is also with them.
Courts, investigators, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies are "sharpened" to protect the existing order, not the law. They no longer serve the Russian people, but individual members of the elite. The elite have children who cannot attend regular schools and are sent to study abroad. Since the system is not stable, the funds acquired in Russia have to be stored in foreign banks. The elite is interested in ensuring that this situation does not change as long as possible in order to continue to plunder the country's resources.
As for the opposition, it has to be CLEANED, and here the elite considers all means acceptable. The elite is to a large extent a self-regulating system, it itself is able to CLEAR the field, both at the regional and local levels. Therefore, after the cleansing, no one is visible, no one sticks out, and if someone sticks out, then a "beginner" is supposed to. And people of the older generation think that if not Putin, then who?
The created system has the property that it cannot evolve towards democracy. In this sense, it resembles the USSR. Putin has taken the position of an arbiter who settles property disputes between representatives of the elite. They are still satisfied with how he does it. The disaffected understand that changing Putin for a new arbiter may cost them more. However, it is visually clear that Putin now feels insecure. The same happens in other societies. For a long time, Grandfather Khasan competently resolved bandit disputes, but somehow he made a mistake and was sent to paradise.
In order for the elite to evolve, it is necessary that the frequency of occurrence of some MEMS in society change over time. It can change in principle with the help of fair elections, the arrival of new representatives from outside the elite. Another way is the mental change (mutation) of the members themselves in the elite.
So far, no mechanisms have been seen that would allow people from outside to enter the elite. Filters that restrain newcomers have been installed on the elections, and the elections themselves do not become fair. A rare process of mutations in the elite is overcome by the fact that these "mutants" with changed ideas about power are removed from the ranks of the elite. This process resembles apoptosis (a regulated process of cell death, cell suicide) in biological structures.
Sanctions on individual members of the elite can lead to mutations, and if there are many of them, this can affect the monolithicity of the elites.
The pressure on the elite from the economically active representatives of the people, who realized that it is impossible to continue living like this, can also, in principle, lead to an evolutionary shift. But this process has a certain threshold that must be overcome.
An important factor leading to a shift in the political paradigm is that the grandfather in the world community has become not a handshake. And for him sybarite international recognition is of great importance, as well as the number of goals scored in the night league, like an ancient amphora found personally at the bottom of the sea, like a hang-glider flight with Siberian Cranes, etc. Our grandfather is very conceited. Therefore, lowering his pride to the level of the plinth should give an appropriate effect, he can think. Perhaps, having secluded himself in the bunker, he was already thinking. But there is a suspicion that his influence in the elite has greatly weakened, that the consolidated opinion of the surrounding elites decides there.