(An essay by Vladimir Tismaneanu and Marius Stan)
Vladimir Putin has become the world champion of the Communist-Fascist Baroque. Last week, at the “Holiday Inn” hotel in St. Petersburg, under the patronage of the pro-Putin “Rodina” party, did take place what is antiphrastically called the “Conservative Forum. The attendees included representatives of extremist, neo-Nazi groups, those nostalgic for the “European Order” proclaimed by Hitler, as well as white supremacy maniacs, anti-Semites of every stripe, hysterical xenophobes, and other individuals we normally call crackpots. Those who tried to protest this fringe conclave were apprehended by the police.
Thus, as the seventieth anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany approaches, the former KGB lieutenant colonel, who pledges urbi et orbi to worship the Soviet sacrifices from that terrible global carnage, more brutal and bloody than anything previously known to mankind, becomes the accomplice of a vengeful assembly inspired by the most abject fascist nostalgias. This gathering took place in the city on the Neva, the same Leningrad of the 900-day survival in the atrocious conditions of the Wehrmacht siege. However, it is also the city of Putka and the mafia which brought him to power.
What ties Putin to these gangsters masquerading as politicians? Simply put, his abhorrence of diversity and pluralism. Writers such as Konstantin Simonov, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Ilya Ehrenburg, Anna Akhmatova, Vasily Grossman, Mikhail Sholokhov, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn – we are deliberately mentioning authors otherwise very different, but certainly all anti-Nazis – are turning in their grave.
Putin is playing with fire. A love affair with extremism (be it rightwing or left) can only lead to disaster. When some lucid columnists and politicians proposed an analogy between the Crimean invasion a year ago and that of Czechoslovakia by Hitler, there were voices of protest. Even now, there remain quite a few – be they genuine believers or financially motivated propagandists – who speak of Putin and his clique’s “self-defense.” All this while the pot is calling the kettle black, condemning the Maidan in Kiev and other eruptions of civic freedom as fascist.
It is high time this wishful thinking were abandoned. Putin is an amoral dictator, tone-deaf to the principles of international law. He despises the rule of law and believes in nothing but sheer force. He is anti-Western and anti-liberal to the core. As French historian Alain Besançon has recently argued, Putin is the successor to Sovietism; like Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev, he abhors freedom and everything that guarantees a person’s autonom. He feels at home in the cult of soldierly discipline, in imperialist hymns and marches, in the racist doctrines that inspire, in some respects, the Eurasian project. He has nothing to offer the Russian people but guns, aggression, and extravaganzas along the lines of the Sochi Olympics (a feat which would have made Potemkin himself proud). We are dealing with an utterly and irrevocably corrupt regime, with a metastasis of abjection and turpitude.
Putin is placing all his bets on the desperate state of mind overshadowing present-day Russia. In this sense, he embodies a fascist temptation that resembles what historian Fritz Stern wrote about when he dealt with the rise of Nazism. The alliance of the Western extreme right that glorifies Putin (and which he is most probably subsidizing) calls itself “Peace and Freedom.” In fact, it is all about slavery and war. Whoever ignores this fails to comprehend the nature of Putin’s system and its true objectives. Ignorance, in this case, is the opposite of bliss and will unquestionably lead to catastrophe. If we sound Cassandra-like in this text, we do so with utmost responsibility, fully convinced that only steadfast resistance to this liberticidal project can save humanity from an Armageddon – or from that “apocalypse in a single country,” as a bitter joke circulating after the collapse of the USSR goes, recycling the Stalinist thesis. In this sense, the Kremlin has become the symbol of contemporary pandemonium.
*
The original Romanian text above came out on the opinion site Contributors and was reprinted in the influential daily newspaper România Liberă. It provoked an angry reaction from Russia’s ambassador to Romania who issued a whole statement blaming the site and daily for publishing our opinion piece. It seems that Vladimir Putin’s envoy to Bucharest has not learned yet that Romania has long since ceased to be a „people’s democracy”, that she belongs to NATO and the European Union, and that it is a constitutional democracy that observes freedom of the press and freedom of expression. It is important for President Putin’s emissary to realize that Romania is not a Russian protectorate in which he can dictate what is printable and what is not.
„Official Statement
Embassy of the Russian Federation: Contributors and România Liberă are dead to us!
We were surprised and disappointed to receive news of the article “Comrade Putin’s Fascist Temptation,” first posted on Contributors.ro and then published in the newspaper România Liberă (Free Romania) on March 26.
I have always been and still am a believer in the fact that the media can and must provide different outlooks on current issues, including those relating to foreign policy. It is completely normal for the media to express opinions and assessments that do not coincide with one’s own point of view. At the same time, the present-day world of information sources is a place that reveals a society’s moral principles and the values characteristic of the people in one country or another.
Having been serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Romania for a little over three years now, I have come across many very nice, educated, and skilled people, who know their job thoroughly; when failing to see eye to eye, we often engaged in debates, discussing rather complicated issues related to European and world politics. I do not believe I would be wrong to say that during this time I have been able to grasp the very soul of the Romanian people, which preserves and carefully guards Orthodox values and the devotion towards humanist and European ideals.
Of course, every society consists of different people. But it is not at all necessary that central publications give any churl (in Romanian, „bădăran”) the right to express themselves. May the reprinting of this text weigh on the editorial board’s conscience. It is most regrettable that such a text sparked their interest. To me, the information portal Contributors.ro and the newspaper România Liberă have ceased to exist as respectable media sources.
I can only imagine the response that my somewhat emotional reaction may elicit in them. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the Romanian society’s reason and morality will finally prevail.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Romania
Oleg Malgynov
Bucharest, March 27, 2015″
Vladimir Tismaneanu is a professor of politics at the University of Maryland (College Park) and author of numerous books, including most recently “The Devil in History: Communism, Fascism, and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century.” Marius Stan is a Romanian political scientist, author of books in Romanian and Polish, and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bucharest. This essay was translated from Romanian into English by Monica Got.
Congratulation again for this excellent article.
Go ahead, gentlemen, don’t never get tired to unveil the neo communist and fascist face of Mr. Putin !
„We will pump bullets into the heads of rotten fascists”, Rogozin, a prolific user of the social media, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and Ambassador of Russia at NATO, claimed Romania and Ukraine had barred him from entering their airspace to return to Russia. “Next time,” he tweeted, “I’ll fly over you on a TU-160″ bomber.
I guess at that time Mr. /// had nothing to say. Rogozin wasn’t rude, this was perfectly normal for them. Typical Russian hypocrisy, he sounds just like Goebbels when he was trying to depict the Allies as savages because they’ve bombed Berlin.
Mr Bагинov. :)
They suffered (and forever will) of grandeur complexes and delusions.
Unfortunately, grandeur cannot be achieved by force, neither by the size of your territory or the number of its inhabitants, it can be attained only by a happy, cohesive, harmonious nation which has freedom of speech, fair go and fair competition and civilised means to live a content life throughout.
The vodka daze might be the opium of the masses but it’s not a staircase to any heaven.
Great posting, congrats! So well said!
Cizma lui Putin pe grumazul UE!
Tarile (teritoriile Europei) s-au aflat sub ocupatia diverselor imperii.
Acum, ocupantul este ‘Imperiul Gazprom’.
Cand, daca si cum se vor elibera tarile UE principale de sub ocupatia imperiului Gazprom? Cizma lui Putin le-a indoit grumazul!
Ministrul de Externe berlinez – Steinmeier (?), un social-democrat urmas de-al lui Schroeder (cel care valseaza acum imbratisat cu Putin) – indeamna UE sa iasa in intampinarea bunelor intentii ale tzarului moscovit.
La noi, primeaza inca viril lozincile ‘Jos Basescu’ si ‘USL traieste’.
Klaus (Fritz al nostru, cum ii spun unii), iubitor declarat al culturii, si-a pus apropiatii la scris si s-a retras in tihna de la capatul Europei neumblate. Mihalache a ramas la vatra si continua sa scrie texte politice; purtatoarea de cuvant ‘nevazuta-necunoscuta’ a ramas in tainele bibliotecii de la Cotroceni si scrie texte literare (romane autobiografice,(‘altfel de biografie!).
Excellent article Mr. Tismaneanu! Congratulations for Ms. Monica Got’s excellent translation too! And sorry, your excellency, Mr. Ambassador Oleg Malgynov, if those who express their opinions are „churls”, what are Comrade Rogozin’s and some Generals of the Russian Army’s words addressed to the countries that succeeded to break away from the Gulag?
Termenul de fascist se golește treptat de orice conținut. Fasciile romane au inspirat numele fascismului mussolinian, Hitler a ridicat fascismul la nivelul de rasism genocidar. Stalin a avut o contribuție majoră în compromiterea aproape totală a unei idei nobile – comunismul utopic. Acum, iată, Putin, este clasat între fasciști. Eu l-aș apropia de politica țarilor ruși, tendința sa este de a reface poziția Rusiei în locul URSS. Este el un inițiator al unui nou Holocaust, al unui genocid undeva? Cineva dorește distrugerea Rusiei. Cine? Evident Occidentul și SUA. Dacă nu și-ar masca această dorință, poate că Rusia nu și-ar lega soarta de Putin. Cum putem uita că Adolf Hitler a crescut datorită îngăduinței criminale a unui Occident speriat de comunism. Astfel a apărut și Putin. Când teama Rusiei se va atenua, vom avea altă atmosferă. Așa cred. Mai mult – admiterea imigrației musulmane în Europa este o sinucidere. Putin nu a recurs la această manevră idioată. Poate că se bucură, nu este un înger, dimpotrivă, dar Rusia mai merge pe mâna lui. Bismarck a spus – nu vă luptați cu Rusia. Punct.
„Este el un inițiator al unui nou Holocaust, al unui genocid undeva?”
Glumiți?!
Da, cam peste tot, terminand recent cu Siria.
Dumneavoastra doar scrieti sau mai si cititi cate ceva?
Nu toți ne complăcem sa traim în lumea lui Bismarck sau conform sfaturilor lui.
Secolul este al 21-lea domnule.
Tovarisci boris – Nu ma ascund sub nume false – Clar ? Dar nu pot accepta ideea ca „Bismark, in marea-i intelepciune – ne cere sa nu ne „punem” cu rusii” ! Pai pana cand sa acceptam jugul rusesc ? Am peste 80 de ani si viata – partea cea mai buna si productiva mi-am petrecut-o (eufemism petrecuta ! ) intr- colonie ruseasca – RSR ! Putin este un paranoic – scolit de KGB (sti ce a fost ?) si este un adevarat urmas al lui Hitler sau Stalin – cei doi mari calai ai secolului XX ! Ce a adus asa zisul comunism omenirii ? Numai RAU – RAU si iar RAU ! Ce face Putin este renasterea tiraniei rusesti la cele mai crunte varfuri ! Deci este o mare canalie – care viseaza sa sujuge – cel putin Europa – Iar tovarasul ambasador ( cu a mic ! ca nu merita mai mult) este o jalnica unealta putinista – I-as recomanda urarea tinerilor romani de „pe la ‘840” adresata consulului rus – Acel „Adio lung adio…
Cu parere de rau nu te consider un bun roman tov. boris – ci o unealta …. putinista !
Citesc, doamna Maria, și pe Dvs. care vă feriți de identificare, așa ar fi politicos, citesc și mă minunez că uitați de masacrele din China, Cambodja, Africa Centrală, fosta Iugoslavie. Știți cumva cine se luptă în Siria? Și de ce? Mă îndoiesc, dar lămuriți-vă ce este cu dictatorul de acolo, ce este cu Statul Islamist, ce este cu conductele de petrol. DACĂ ar fi numai Rusia pe acolo, ați avea dreptate. Dacă Putin, care este neîndoielnic un dictator necomunist, ba chiar devenit bisericos, este fascist și comunist, adică un Hitler-Stalin siamez, atunci uităm trecutul, nicio mare putere nu este un Rai sau un Dumnezeu, să fim mai atenți la nuanțe, sine ira et studio, nu confundați URSS cu Rusia, Dvs. ați rămas în sec. XX, iar Bismarck care nu iubea Rusia, era un înțelept, nu te bați cu ursul, lasă-l să treacă, ușurel, fără scandal. Vreți un război cald , nuclear? Eu stimez diplomația și dictonul, fă-ți din dușman un prieten și nu invers. Vedeți Biblia. E bună de citit.
Daraghie tavarișci Boris! Nu te mai înfoia ca varza în cuptor, că ai luat-o pe arătură. Succesiunea matale de afirmații este destinată să zăpăcească pe ignoranți, dar nu rezistă unei minime analize logice. Să o luăm pe rând:
ce au masacrele din țările enumerate într-o succesiune fără cap și coadă cu subiectul tentației fasciste a lui Putin? Cine se luptă în Siria și de ce? Cred că glumești, tov. Boris. Războiul civil a fost declanșat de abuzurile lui Assad, un dictator de cea mai joasă speță și sorginte comunistă. După aia au apărut teroriștii islamici, în climatul de război civil datorat…. atenție, tov. Boris! EXCLUSIV tov. Assad!. Iar acest dictator n-ar fi rezistat fără ajutorul rusesc, care este complet neinteresat. Panimaieși, tavarișci?
Conductele de petrol își cam pierd din importanță de când americanii s-au băgat în șisturi. Mai degrabă, ca să revenim la motivele luptelor de acolo, Rusia nu are interes ca petrolul să circule liber, pentru că asta ar însemna un preț scăzut, așa că mai bine niște cafturi prin zonă.
În rest aburelile de genul „Putin – dictator necomunist, ba chiar bisericos” sunt complet irelevante. Putin se dă ce vrea el și crede că e bine, îl laudă pe Stalin și gargarisește antifascist, în timp ce o subvenționează pe madama LePen, care este o fascistă, dar este o fascistă bună. Nu doamna Maria confundă URSS cu Rusia, ci Putka, atunci când face apologia lui Stalin. Dacă nu te bați cu ursul, animalul te lasă fără vite în staul și fără slănină în pod. Dacă tot am ajuns la proverbe, este unul românesc foarte bun și care i se aplică perfect tovarășului Putka: dă-i nas lui Ivan și se suie pe divan (ca adagiu evocator, o face cu cizmele). Alles gutte, vorba marxistului, tavarișci Boris!
Fraza lui Bismarck este citată trunchiat! Bismarck spuse: „Nu luptați cu rușii. La orice stratagema vicleană a dumneavoastră, rușii vor răspunde cu o acțiune de o stupiditate imprevizibilă!”.
Polonium is on its way! Putin, the fascist gnome, is buying!
Hey, Russia! Time to return the Romanian gold! Aren’t you tired to be the asshole of this world?