[p2p-research] cultural destruction in russia

[Michel Bauwens]

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Date: Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 2:13 PM
Subject: ZNet Daily Commentary: The New Opiate of the Masses By Boris
Kagarlitsky
To: michelsub2004 at gmail.com


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The New Opiate of the Masses

March 11, 2010 By *Boris Kagarlitsky*

Boris Kagarlitsky's ZSpace
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The State Duma has passed another law that will deliver a big blow to
culture, education and public health. The struggle against those sectors has
been going on for years, but it appears that this time the deputies are
determined to finish them off for good. The law clearly demonstrates the
intention of the state to release itself from any remaining social
responsibility that it still has toward the people. Science, culture and
education will now have to fend for themselves — or die off completely.

According to officials, the law is intended to “optimize budgetary
expenses.” What this means in reality is that these expenses could be
eliminated altogether. If the law goes into force, most educational and
public health institutions will be removed from the federal budget as of
Jan. 1, 2011.

On the other hand, scientific, scholastic and cultural institutions will be
given carte blanche to earn money any way that they can. Thus, we could very
well see hospitals renting out rooms to store alcoholic beverages and
schools renting out classrooms to warehouse cigarettes.

What’s more, the government will soon stop assuming the burden for debts
accumulated by schools, hospitals and libraries. As a result, we might begin
seeing museums or medical clinics going bankrupt and closing their doors in
the near future.

The luckiest organizations will be designated as “state establishments,” but
it is too early to congratulate those organizations; the law also states
that their “surplus assets” will be seized. For now, we can only guess as to
who will determine what is surplus, which criteria they will use and how
much they will be allowed to take. Siloviki agencies, orphanages, prisons
and psychiatric hospitals are slated to become “state establishments.” So,
unless you are in uniform, crazy or sitting in prison, don’t count on
getting any help from the government.

At the same time, the authorities are continuing to work toward their
favorite goal — the merging, consolidating and downsizing of hospitals,
schools and universities. After all, who needs so many scientific
institutes? Why do small villages need schools at all?

The same question could apply to village hospitals: Why do villagers need
hospitals in the first place? After all, since they live so close to
Russia’s pristine nature, they get lots of fresh, clean air and have no
right to get sick. Perhaps they could revive the country’s tradition of
mystical healing and other centuries-old rural practices.

The authorities understand perfectly well that the growing number of
educated young people have nowhere to apply their skills. And neither the
government nor the private sector is prepared to create massive numbers of
industry jobs. Thus, the millions of young people who will enter the labor
market in the next two to three years will find themselves placed in that
unfortunate category called “surplus.”

But the authorities have their own logic for their actions. If those surplus
people are not only unemployed, but also educated, they could pose a serious
threat to the ruling authorities. It would be better, they believe, if the
people spent hours every day in front of the television watching mindless
series and entertainment shows, drinking or taking drugs than reading books.

In all of this downsizing and budget cutting in Russia’s core educational
and medical infrastructure, nobody is planning to cut funding for prisons
and psychiatric hospitals.


Boris Kagarlitsky

Director of the Institute of Globalization and Social Movements in Moscow

Boris Kagarlitsky is a well-known international commentator on Russian
politics and society. Boris was a deputy to the Moscow City Soviet between
1990-93, during which time he was a member of the executive of the Socialist
Party of Russia, co-founder of the Party of Labour, and advisor to the
Chairperson of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia.
Previously, he was a student of art criticism and was imprisoned for two
years for 'anti-Soviet' activities.

Boris' books include Empire of the Periphery: Russia and the World System
(Pluto Press, February 2008, Russia Under Yeltsin And Putin: Neo-Liberal
Autocracy (TNI/Pluto 2002) and New Realism, New Barbarism: The Crisis of
Capitalism (Pluto 1999).

Source: TNI / The Moscow Times
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