What it is necessary to build in Russia -
capitalism or an Asian formation today?
CLASSIFICATION OF FORMATIONS.
Formations are steps of development of society.
Development of society goes through steps – through formations. Marx listed four formations in work «To
criticism of political economy»:
• antique,
• Asian,
• feudal,
• the capitalist.
There was a scientific discussion on this matter
in 1928-1935 in the USSR, as a result of I.Stalin summed up this discussion and
called five formations:
• primitive-communal,
• slaveholding,
• feudal,
• capitalist,
• the communistic. The socialism is the first
phase of communism.
Stalin forced to forget about an Asian
formation, as Asian formation reminded a
socialism very much. It turns out so, what
the such society existed in the
USSR as society exist in Ancient Egypt, and
is it called as progress? The subject «Asian formation» became a taboo
subject in the Soviet philosophy. K. Vittfogel
wrote on this subject in the West in
work «East despotism: comparative research of the total power" also R.
Aron mentioned this subject
in work «Democracy and totalitarianism». The reason of incompleteness of discussions about formations consists till
today that philosophers couldn't find the correct criterion which distinguishes
one formation from another. According to Marx, such criterion is the level of
development of productive forces, but this criterion is too abstract,
unsuitable for comparison of formations therefore one researchers allocated
four formations, and other researchers– five, one considered an Asian formation
distinct from other formations, and other researchers – so didn't consider.
In my opinion, such criterion is the type of
control in the economy sphere. Social control is a coercion to performance of
standards of behavior by means of awards and punishments.
• the primitive formation is constructed on
moral control by means of a praise and abuse,
• slaveholding formation is constructed on the armed control by means of corporal
punishments,
• feudalism
constructed on administrative control by means of increase or demotion,
by means of employment or dismissal,
• capitalism – on economic control by means of
an award and a penalty in money's form.
Marx didn't invent a new type of control for
communism and Marx considered even that
all forms of social control will be cancelled under communism, but such
forecast is a utopia, unrealizable dream since society can't exist without the
relations of the social conflict and social control. There were attempts under socialism to use in
economy ideological stimuluses – flags,, a medal of the Hero of socialist
labour, article in the newspaper, glorifying Heroes, the photo on the Honor
desk, Certificates of honor. Miner Alexey Stakhanov became the first Hero of
socialist labour. But this campaign ended with a total failure since workers
don't want to work for flags.
Such sanctions influenced people under socialism
really, as corporal punishments in the sphere of forced labor of prisoners in
GULAG, threat of the death penalty for "wreckers" and administrative
sanctions in the sphere of free work. Corporal punishments in the sphere of
economy is a signs of slaveholding formation, and administrative
sanctions are a signs of feudalism therefore the socialism is an Asian version
of feudalism where there is impressive on the size a public sector of
slaveholding economy. Socialism and Asiatic formation are slave-feudal
formation. There was a slow evolution from slaveholding formation to feudalism in the Ancient East.
Thus, in my opinion, in the history of society
there were four formations:
• primitive,
• slaveholding,
• feudal,
• the capitalist.
ASIAN FORMATION.
The Asian formation was invented in Ancient
Egypt and Mesopotamia, later similar societies arose in Ancient India, Ancient
China, Ancient Mexico, Ancient Peru, Byzantium and imperial Russia.
"Asian" and despotic character of imperial Russia is dictated by an
external factor, the Tataro-Mongolian gain. Vittfogel wrote that Russia was West "suburb" before the
Mongolian invasion and after Mongols brought to Russia "east" orders borrowed by Mongols
in China, Russia turned into East "suburb". A. Toynbee objected against it, so A. Toynbee
was confident in the Byzantium origin of
Russian civilization. In my opinion, USSR had built asiatic formation in
countries from socialistic camp. In my opinion, Gittler strived for building of
asiatic formation in Germany but Gittler could not do it.
It was
invented In Asia irrigation agriculture and cattle breeding. It was
constructed in Asia enormous irrigational systems and other global
objects - pyramids in Egypt, city walls
in Mesopotamia, the Chinese wall in China. These enormous objects became
an archaeological monuments and often useless way of waste of human energy
which had no real advantage. It was invented in the Ancient East the state
slavery, bureaucracy, taxes, hieroglyphic writing, a despotism, regular army,
court, law enforcement agencies, the code of laws, state ownership on the
earth, a temple economy and an economy of the Pharaoh. The bureaucracy had
functions of taxation and the management of construction of global objects. The
despotism or, in other words, tyranny was vital necessary in the countries
of Ancient East since only the despot
could force to repair every year irrigational systems and by that to prevent
hunger. The Asian formation became an Asian version of a slaveholding formation
which turned into an Asian version of
the feudalism gradually. Lack of a private property on means of production was
bright difference of Asiatic formation from West way of development.
The countries of the Ancient East couldn't pass
from feudalism to capitalism independently. For this the Countries of the West
should win the East countries, Countries of the West should turn by East
countries into the colonies, and then the countries of the West constructed
capitalism in the East countries. Because of this threat, Japan and Russia
constructed capitalism independently. Russian way of construction of capitalism
at 19-20 eyelids was especially difficult, this way lay through a Bolshevist
failure in this construction within 70 years.
East society is based not on a private
property, and on bureaucracy existence in heard by the despot. The despot and
bureaucracy have the enormous power in the east. Any opposition to the despot
pressed with help of system of the organized total terror. Society shared only
on two classes: ruling and operated.
Despot and bureaucracy belonged
to ruling class. The operated class — is farmers, handicraftsmen,
dealers, slaves. The idolized despotic power is supported by regular army,
police and bureaucracy.
There is a possibility of an eminence of people
of a low origin if they are capable to something. Poor person could make an outstanding career
in China and to become even the minister by means of delivery of school
examinations.
Vittfogel saw one of the reasons of backwardness
of the Countries of the East from the West in lack of need to spend forces for
irrigational works in the West. Vittfogel speaks on example of China about the regress caused by gains by nomads
of farmers. Gain of Kiev Russia by Tataro-Mongol
led to the same regress.
Ancient Greece became a cradle of the western
version of a slaveholding formation, and then
Ancient Rome intercepted relay race from Ancient Greece. Western version
of feudalism had arisen after invasion of Germen and crash of Ancient Rome in
countries of Western Europe. This western versions of a slaveholding
and feudal formations differed from Asian
version a little. Climate was more damp
in the West therefore there was a ploughed agriculture, and there were systems of irrigation agriculture
never in the West therefore irrigational systems, the state slavery and a
despotism weren't necessary in the West.
Athens borrowed craft, sea trade and the alphabet from Phoenicia.
Representative democracy and the aristocracy, the military ship – a triyer, the
market, sports, theatrical competition, a private property on the earth and
slaves were invented in Ancient Greece. Serfdom and vassal system, constructed on
administrative control, existed in the
West only.
Capitalism was invented exactly in the West.
It is possible to list four great English
inventions which underlie capitalism:
1). Economic control, an award and a penalty in
sphere of economy, free labor.
2). Inventions in techniques – firearms, the
machine, the steam engine and so on.
3). Market
on the basis of use of free labor.
4). Representative democracy, multi-party
system, national elections, constitution, political freedoms. Capitalism was
brought on bayonets of the West European colonialists to Asia.
Conclusion: in my opinion, Vittfogel was right
partly of the reasons of emergence of a despotism in the various countries. It
concentrated own attention only to one of the reasons of emergence of a
despotism and didn't see other reasons. In my opinion, the main reason of
emergence of a despotism are extreme external and internal living conditions of
society.
Threat of external aggression, the big territory
and imperial state system when there is a need of suppression of separatist
revolts can be such conditions.
Such conditions can be and need to organize
irrigation agriculture. There was
irrigation agriculture in Russia never, but
there were threats of external aggression from numerous aggressive
neighbors for Russia always. Russia
possessed the big territory always and
there was a need to suppress revolt of separatists always. Not casually
that today Russia chose the most rigid model of democracy – the presidential
republic, differently civil war against
separatists could begin in Russia or Russia could lose war on the international
scene.
RUSSIAN WAY OF DEVELOPMENT.
Russia occupies median place between Europe and
Asia therefore Russia invented nothing
almost, and Russia borrowed social inventions
from Europe or from Asia alternately. In general, there are very few
countries which managed to make at least one social invention.
List of teachers from Russia:
• There were Varangians from the West, from Sweden
which brought to Russia the princely power, trade on the rivers, the weapon and
a military system, laws, collecting a tribute. Varangians became the first teachers for east Slavs.
• The second teacher for Russia was Byzantium
which took a median place between Europe and Asia too, Orthodox Christianity,
writing, architecture was borrowed from Byzantium to Russia.
• The third teacher for Russia were
Tataro-Mongol and the Golden Horde from Asia which taught Russian to collect
taxes from each yard and to build a despotism, as a result absolute monarchy was invented in the Moscow
where the throne was handed down to the eldest son or the eldest brother
• Western Europe (at first Poland, then Sweden,
Holland, England, Germany, France became the fourth teacher for Russia in 17
century, and especially at Russian emperor Peter 1. Russia was at war with some of these countries alternately and
Russia studied at them). Three English
inventions - technical inventions, the market and economic control were
borrowed from Western Europe. Russian emperor Nicolay 2 tried to enter the fourth English invention
under pressing of liberals and revolutionaries - to construct system of
representative democracy. Nicolay 2 had
entered parliament and multi-party elections, but Nicolay 2 couldn't
complete – didn't enter the constitution and parliament control over the
government.
There
was a failure in social construction as a result of October revolution of 1917.
Bolsheviks destroyed a capitalist system and constructed a primitive Asian
formation by an example of Ancient Egypt.
Four
campaigns for construction of an Asian formation were carried out in the Soviet
Russia:
1). Military communism from 1918 to 1921. Lenin
cancelled a private property on the earth and plants, economic control in
economy, the market, unfinished under Russian emperor Nicolay 2 representative
democracy. Lenin tried to cancel money,
religion and the code of laws even vainly. This campaign caused to Civil war in
Russia, but Bolsheviks managed to win in Civil war though Bolsheviks had to go on temporary concessions
to peasants in the form of New Economic Policy from 1921 to 1928. Bolsheviks removed a ban on a small and average private
property and small employment of labor, on private small trade within the
country in economy at the New Economic Policy, the convertible currency – a
gold tchervonets was entered, but Bolsheviks kept a ban on a large private
property and private foreign trade. Such contradictions in economy led to New
Economic Policy crises when peasants refused to sell bread at the low state's
prices.
2). Industrialization. Bolsheviks organized big
buildings of plants of heavy and war industry, channels and the railways. The
agriculture robbery, free work of prisoners, coercion to purchase of bonds of
the state loan, vodka sale became sources of financing of these buildings.
3). Collectivization. Bolsheviks tired out by
peasants in collective farms violently and Bolsheviks forced to work
by peasants in collective farms almost free of charge –
for "ticks" in the magazine of workdays. Peasants ate and paid heavy
taxes from a kitchen garden. Rich peasants were plundered and subjected to
repression. As a result stimuluses to work
disappeared at peasants completely, and the agricultural branch came to
a condition of complete decline.
4). Cultural revolution or big terror or «big
cleaning». Lenin constructed oligarchy, that is
the power of exclusive privilege's minority which was called as
"Lenin guard». Fight had begun of
fractions for the power in this «Lenin guard»
in the 20th years. Stalin won in turn the paralyzed Lenin, Trotsky's
fraction, fraction of Zinoviev and Kamenev,
fraction of Bukharin, Rykov and
Tomskiy. Stalin had destroyed physically
almost all «Lenin guard» and Stalin had constructed a despotism in
1937-1938. Stalin had created instead of
«Lenin guard» a new ruling layer – the nomenclature which was subordinated rigidly to the tyrant. Thus,
Asian formation was completed and Asian formation represented a classical sample
under Stalin.
N. Khrushchev destroyed
physically the new applicant in
tyrants – L. Beria - and Khrushchev restored oligarchy with that gradual
dismantle had begun of an Asian
formation in Russia. Oligarchy degeneration
began under Brezhnev. Gorbachev loosened oligarchy to the basis. Yeltsin had destroyed oligarchy and an Asian formation in Russia completely,
Yeltsin constructed capitalism and system of representative democracy on the
western samples. Prime-minister Gaidar had
entered the market in 1991, Chubais entered a private property and
economic control in economy. Yeltsin had
entered the constitution and parliament in 1993. Putin put things in order
after the period of reforms and strengthened this system.
Asian formation was constructed and in other countries of socialist camp
on the Soviet sample where these four campaigns were carried out too. As soon as the Soviet
armies were disengaged from countries of
Eastern Europe in 1989, there were "velvet" revolutions and
capitalism was restored. The Asian formation
was constructed by Mao Tse Tung in China who won civil war and carried
out such campaigns, as «big jump», national communes and a cultural revolution.
The policy of the New Economic Policy is carried out today in China, that
is the market, an award and a penalty in
economy and technical inventions are entered, but the power is in hands of
communistic oligarchy, and students, who demanded democracy on Tiananmen
Square, were crushed by tanks. The Asian formation remains today in Northern
Korea and in Cuba.
The
conclusion consists that the socialism is regress in comparison with
capitalism, and this grandiose communistic experiment led to big victims in
Russia. Bolsheviks couldn't find the Russian way of development of the country
in Russia, and Bolsheviks moved Russia to
backward Asian way. Communists
aren't able to build anything, except this primitive model of society today.
Repetition of similar utopian experiment becomes for Russia catastrophe.
Capitalism has been constructed in Russia today
and it is good.