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| ⚫ | The term '''Putinism''' is often used to describe the unique ] of contemporary ] where all ]s and most important economic ]s are owned by a group of former ] officials ("]s") according to many political observers. The system was established under leadership of Russian president ] and therefore named after him. <ref> , By ], ], ], ] </ref> <ref> , by ], ], ], ] </ref>. According to ], "Putinism in the 21st century has become as significant a watchword as ] was in the 20th" . | ||
| ===Putin's phrases=== | |||
| ⚫ | The term ''' |
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| ⚫ | The ] of Russian ] and economic assets has been allegedly accomplished by a ] of ] | ||
| ===Criticism of Putin=== | |||
| ⚫ | <ref name="Glinski"> by Dmitri Glinski Vassiliev, ], November 2000 </ref> who gradually became a leading group of Russian ] and who "seized control over the financial, media and administrative resources of the Russian state" <ref> | ||
| '''Putinism''' is also used as pejorative or satirical term to describe the political doctrine of ] and ] party. The term is used in this sense by opponents of Putin, as Putin's supporters perefer term '''Putin's policies''' or '''Putin's goverment'''. | |||
| , by Andranik Migranyan, ''Russia in Global affairs'', 13 April, 2004 </ref> and ] and ]. According to some scholars, Russia has been transformed to "] state" <ref> , Anderson, Julie (2006), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 19:2, 237 - 288.</ref><ref> Anderson, Julie (2007), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 20:2, 258 - 316 </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ] ] considers '''Putinism''' as "the highest and culminating stage of bandit capitalism in Russia” <ref> | ||
| ==What is Putinism?== | |||
| There are slightly different opinions on the nature and roots of the Putinism. | |||
| ==="The highest and culminating stage of bandit capitalism in Russia"=== | |||
| ⚫ | ] ] considers '''Putinism''' as "the highest and culminating stage of bandit capitalism in Russia” <ref> | ||
| , by ], The Russia Journal, ]-13, 2000. The title is an allusion to work ''"] as the last and culminating stage of capitalism"'' by ] </ref>. He believes that "Russia is not corrupt. ] is what happens in all countries when businessmen offer officials large bribes for favors. Today’s Russia is unique. The businessmen, the politicians, and the bureaucrats are the same people." <ref> , ] </ref> | , by ], The Russia Journal, ]-13, 2000. The title is an allusion to work ''"] as the last and culminating stage of capitalism"'' by ] </ref>. He believes that "Russia is not corrupt. ] is what happens in all countries when businessmen offer officials large bribes for favors. Today’s Russia is unique. The businessmen, the politicians, and the bureaucrats are the same people." <ref> , ] </ref> | ||
| ===A unique social order=== | |||
| ⚫ | ], a former advisor of ], describes this system as a new socio-political order, "distinct from any seen in our country before". In this model, members of the Corporation of Intelligence Service Collaborators took over the entire body of state power, follow an ]-like behavior code, and "are given instruments conferring power over others – membership “perks”, such as the right to carry and use weapons". According to Illarionov, this "Corporation has seized key government agencies – the Tax Service, ], ], ], and the ] – which are now used to advance the interests of KSSS members. Through these agencies, every significant resource of the country – security/intelligence, political, economic, informational and financial – is being monopolized in the hands of Corporation members |
||
| ⚫ | ], a former advisor of ], describes this system as a new socio-political order, "distinct from any seen in our country before". In this model, members of the Corporation of Intelligence Service Collaborators took over the entire body of state power, follow an ]-like behavior code, and "are given instruments conferring power over others – membership “perks”, such as the right to carry and use weapons". According to Illarionov, this "Corporation has seized key government agencies – the Tax Service, ], ], ], and the ] – which are now used to advance the interests of KSSS members. Through these agencies, every significant resource of the country – security/intelligence, political, economic, informational and financial – is being monopolized in the hands of Corporation members" <ref name="Illarionov"> </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Russian politician ] and commentator ] define Putinism in Russia as "a ],], a ], ending of an independent judiciary, firm centralization of power and finances, and hypertrophied role of ] and ], in particular in relation to business" <ref> by Mark A. Smith ]</ref> | ||
| Former KGB officer ], when asked "How many people in Russia work in ]?", replied: "Whole country. FSB owns everything, including ] and even own Church, the ]... Putin managed to create new ] in Russia" . | |||
| ===Conspiracy theories=== | |||
| ⚫ | The term '''Putinism''' is |
||
| ===Single-party bureaucratic state=== | |||
| ⚫ | The ] of Russian ] and economic assets has been allegedly accomplished by a ] of ] | ||
| ⚫ | Russian politician ] and commentator ] define Putinism in Russia as "a ],], a ], ending of an independent judiciary, firm centralization of power and finances, and hypertrophied role of ] and ], in particular in relation to business" <ref> by Mark A. Smith ]</ref> | ||
| ==Ideology of Putinism== | |||
| ⚫ | <ref name="Glinski"> by Dmitri Glinski Vassiliev, ], November 2000 </ref> who gradually became a leading group of Russian ] and who "seized control over the financial, media and administrative resources of the Russian state" <ref> |
||
| Some observers discuss ideology of new Russian political elite. Politologist Irina Pavlova said that ] are not merely a corporation of people united to expropriate financial assets. They have long-standing political objectives of transforming ] to the ] and ] of ] <ref name="Pavlova"> , by Irina Pavlova, grani.ru </ref> Columnist ] emphasized the ] of Putinism. He said that "Putinism is becoming a toxic brew of nationalism directed against neighboring nations, and populist envy, backed by assaults of state power, directed against private wealth. Putinism is a ] without the demonic element of its pioneer..." . According to Illarionov, the ] of ] is ] (“ours-ism”), the selective application of rights". <ref name="Illarionov"/> | |||
| ==Historical perspective== | |||
| , by Andranik Migranyan, ''Russia in Global affairs'', 13 April, 2004 </ref> and ] and ]. | |||
| According to Soviet historian ], the secret ] has always been an "absolute power" of the ]: "It is not true that the ] of the ] is a superpower (...) An absolute power thinks, acts and dictates for all of us. The name of the power — ] — ] — ]. The ] is based not on ], ], the power of the Political Bureau, ], but the organization and the technique of the ] where Stalin plays the role of the first policeman.", he wrote <ref name="Avtorkhanov"> , The Chechen Times №17, 30.08.2003 </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| *] | |||
| However, former ] general ] believes that although ] in Russia is nothing new, the current situation is different: "In the ], the ] was a state within a state. Now former KGB officers are running the state. They have custody of the country’s 6,000 nuclear weapons, entrusted to the KGB in the 1950s, and they now also manage the ] renationalized by Putin. The KGB successor, rechristened ], still has the right to electronically monitor the population, control political groups, search homes and businesses, infiltrate the federal government, create its own ], investigate cases, and run its own prison system. The Soviet Union had one KGB officer for every 428 citizens. Putin’s Russia has one FSB-ist for every 297 citizens." <ref name="front1"> , interview with ], ], ], and Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, ], ], ]. </ref> <ref name="Pacepa0"> - by Ion Mihai Pacepa, National Review Online, ], ] </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] |
||
| ==Other uses== | |||
| ⚫ | The term '''Putinisms''' (by analogy to ]s ) is also used in Russian literature to describe concise statements by Russian President ].<ref>Бирюков С. Ю. Проблема перевода путинизмов (на материале публикаций франкоязычных СМИ) / С. Ю. Бирюков // Материалы XIII Международной конференции студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых «Ломоносов». — М.: Факультет иностранных языков и регионоведения МГУ, 2006. — С. 216—219</ref> He said about former KGB officers including himself, who come to power in Russia: | ||
| *"There is no such thing as a former KGB man" <ref name="matthews"> </ref> | |||
| *"A group of FSB colleagues dispatched to work undercover in the government has successfully completed its first mission." <ref name="Paddock"> </ref>. | |||
| ⚫ | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| *] | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
| ⚫ | *, ], Aug 23, 2007 | ||
| ⚫ | * by Olga Kryshtanovskaya | ||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| * by Olga Kryshtanovskaya and Stephen White | |||
| *, ], Aug 23, 2007 | |||
| ⚫ | *, ], Aug 23, 2007 | ||
| ⚫ | * by Olga Kryshtanovskaya | ||
| *, Anderson, Julie (2006), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 19:2, 237 - 288. | |||
| * Anderson, Julie (2007), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 20:2, 258 - 316 | |||
| * By J. Michael Waller, Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization | * By J. Michael Waller, Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization | ||
| * By Reuel Marc Gerecht | * By Reuel Marc Gerecht | ||
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Revision as of 01:32, 10 October 2007
The term Putinism is often used to describe the unique political system of contemporary Russia where all political powers and most important economic assets are owned by a group of former state security officials ("siloviks") according to many political observers. The system was established under leadership of Russian president Vladimir Putin and therefore named after him. . According to Arnold Beichman, "Putinism in the 21st century has become as significant a watchword as Stalinism was in the 20th" .
The privatization of Russian state and economic assets has been allegedly accomplished by a clique of Putin's close associates and friends who gradually became a leading group of Russian oligarchs and who "seized control over the financial, media and administrative resources of the Russian state" and restricted democratic freedoms and human rights. According to some scholars, Russia has been transformed to "FSB state"
What is Putinism?
There are slightly different opinions on the nature and roots of the Putinism.
"The highest and culminating stage of bandit capitalism in Russia"
Political analyst Andrei Piontkovsky considers Putinism as "the highest and culminating stage of bandit capitalism in Russia” . He believes that "Russia is not corrupt. Corruption is what happens in all countries when businessmen offer officials large bribes for favors. Today’s Russia is unique. The businessmen, the politicians, and the bureaucrats are the same people."
A unique social order
Andrei Illarionov, a former advisor of Vladimir Putin, describes this system as a new socio-political order, "distinct from any seen in our country before". In this model, members of the Corporation of Intelligence Service Collaborators took over the entire body of state power, follow an omerta-like behavior code, and "are given instruments conferring power over others – membership “perks”, such as the right to carry and use weapons". According to Illarionov, this "Corporation has seized key government agencies – the Tax Service, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament, and the government-controlled mass media – which are now used to advance the interests of KSSS members. Through these agencies, every significant resource of the country – security/intelligence, political, economic, informational and financial – is being monopolized in the hands of Corporation members"
Former KGB officer Konstantin Preobrazhenskiy, when asked "How many people in Russia work in FSB?", replied: "Whole country. FSB owns everything, including Russian Army and even own Church, the Russian Orthodox Church ... Putin managed to create new social system in Russia" .
Single-party bureaucratic state
Russian politician Boris Nemtsov and commentator Kara-Murza define Putinism in Russia as "a one party system,censorship, a puppet parliament, ending of an independent judiciary, firm centralization of power and finances, and hypertrophied role of special services and bureaucracy, in particular in relation to business"
Ideology of Putinism
Some observers discuss ideology of new Russian political elite. Politologist Irina Pavlova said that chekists are not merely a corporation of people united to expropriate financial assets. They have long-standing political objectives of transforming Moscow to the Third Rome and ideology of "containing" the United States Columnist George Will emphasized the nationalistic nature of Putinism. He said that "Putinism is becoming a toxic brew of nationalism directed against neighboring nations, and populist envy, backed by assaults of state power, directed against private wealth. Putinism is a national socialism without the demonic element of its pioneer..." . According to Illarionov, the ideology of chekists is Nashism (“ours-ism”), the selective application of rights".
Historical perspective
According to Soviet historian Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov, the secret political police has always been an "absolute power" of the Soviet society: "It is not true that the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party is a superpower (...) An absolute power thinks, acts and dictates for all of us. The name of the power — NKVD — MVD — MGB. The Stalin regime is based not on Soviets, Party ideals, the power of the Political Bureau, Stalin’s personality, but the organization and the technique of the Soviet political police where Stalin plays the role of the first policeman.", he wrote
However, former Securitate general Ion Mihai Pacepa believes that although chekism in Russia is nothing new, the current situation is different: "In the Soviet Union, the KGB was a state within a state. Now former KGB officers are running the state. They have custody of the country’s 6,000 nuclear weapons, entrusted to the KGB in the 1950s, and they now also manage the strategic oil industry renationalized by Putin. The KGB successor, rechristened FSB, still has the right to electronically monitor the population, control political groups, search homes and businesses, infiltrate the federal government, create its own front enterprises, investigate cases, and run its own prison system. The Soviet Union had one KGB officer for every 428 citizens. Putin’s Russia has one FSB-ist for every 297 citizens."
Other uses
The term Putinisms (by analogy to aphorisms ) is also used in Russian literature to describe concise statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said about former KGB officers including himself, who come to power in Russia:
- "There is no such thing as a former KGB man"
- "A group of FSB colleagues dispatched to work undercover in the government has successfully completed its first mission." .
See also
References
- The Perils of Putinism, By Arnold Beichman, Washington Times, February 11, 2007
- Putinism On the March, by George F. Will, Washington Post, November 30, 2004
- The Essence of Putinism: The Strengthening of the Privatized State by Dmitri Glinski Vassiliev, Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 2000
- What is ‘Putinism’?, by Andranik Migranyan, Russia in Global affairs, 13 April, 2004
- The Chekist Takeover of the Russian State, Anderson, Julie (2006), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 19:2, 237 - 288.
- The HUMINT Offensive from Putin's Chekist State Anderson, Julie (2007), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 20:2, 258 - 316
- Putinism: highest stage of robber capitalism, by Andrei Piontkovsky, The Russia Journal, February 7-13, 2000. The title is an allusion to work "Imperialism as the last and culminating stage of capitalism" by Vladimir Lenin
- Review of Andrei's Pionkovsky's Another Look Into Putin's Soul by the Honorable Rodric Braithwaite, Hoover Institute
- ^ Andrei Illarionov: Approaching Zimbabwe (Russian) Partial English translation
- Russia After The Presidential Election by Mark A. Smith Conflict Studies Research Centre
- Badly informed optimists, by Irina Pavlova, grani.ru
- "Idea which is worth of dying for it", The Chechen Times №17, 30.08.2003
- Symposium: When an Evil Empire Returns, interview with Ion Mihai Pacepa, R. James Woolsey, Jr., Yuri Yarim-Agaev, and Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, FrontPageMagazine.com, June 23, 2006.
- The Kremlin’s Killing Ways - by Ion Mihai Pacepa, National Review Online, November 28, 2006
- Бирюков С. Ю. Проблема перевода путинизмов (на материале публикаций франкоязычных СМИ) / С. Ю. Бирюков // Материалы XIII Международной конференции студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых «Ломоносов». — М.: Факультет иностранных языков и регионоведения МГУ, 2006. — С. 216—219
- A Chill in the Moscow Air - by Owen Matthews and Anna Nemtsova - Newsweek International, Feb. 6, 2006
- The KGB Rises Again in Russia - by R.C. Paddock - Los Angeles Times, January 12, 2000
Further reading
- Putin’s Militocracy by Olga Kryshtanovskaya and Stephen White
- Russia under Putin. The making of a neo-KGB state., The Economist, Aug 23, 2007
- Russia's government. Putin's people., The Economist, Aug 23, 2007
- The power of Chekists is incredibly stable by Olga Kryshtanovskaya
- The Chekist Takeover of the Russian State, Anderson, Julie (2006), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 19:2, 237 - 288.
- The HUMINT Offensive from Putin's Chekist State Anderson, Julie (2007), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 20:2, 258 - 316
- Russia: Death and resurrection of the KGB By J. Michael Waller, Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization
- A Rogue Intelligence State? Why Europe and America Cannot Ignore Russia By Reuel Marc Gerecht