As you may have already learned in the past few years--I am not exactly a believer in Russian-Chinese symbiosis, especially military one. Economic? Only if I stretch my imagination and make some truly bizarre allowances--such as Russia, out of charity, which is a euphemism for insanity, providing China with secret metallurgy, advanced materials, modern jet-engines and know-how for S-500 among many other things and technologies. I cannot see that happening but who knows, maybe Russia one day will forget lessons of 1990s and out of own sadomasochistic tendencies will decide to run to Golgotha yet again, just for the heck of it. Other than that--no. Nor, as you may all know, do I hold all kinds of Ph.Ds in political "sciences" in any high regard (same goes for Ph.Ds in Philosophy and Aesthetics), yet, even from those corners of grossly imprecise pseudo-sciences some sober and relatively accurate thoughts do appear.
Dmitri Drobnitsky is a political "scientist" and passes in Russia for Americanist--some of Drobnitsky's observations on the United States are succinct, others, like his recent statement on Trump's economic "successes" can only bring a smile to a face of anyone who deals with every-day American reality consistently. Yet, Drobnitsky just wrote an interesting piece about models--Western (not so) liberal and Chinese allegedly despotic meritocracy. I can say in advance--it is worth reading (Google Translate will do good enough job) and giving it a thought.
Эпоха импорта моделей развития заканчивается (The epoch of export of development models is ending).
I don't know if they read my books in Russia but it was my consistent position for years that Russia, with or without China, is a separate power pole once her real economy and military power are considered. I am also on record when explaining (for years, again) that unlike China, Russia can and already generates a model which is alternative to both rotting liberalism, which inevitably will end up in totalitarianism, and to Chinese "growth" model. Somebody, finally, shared this POV inside Russia among "intelligentsia". Here is Drobnitsky verbatim:
К попыткам навязать России чужие модели надо относиться спокойно. Каждая конкурирующая система заботится о своей внешней привлекательности и стремится предложить если не универсальное решение для всех, то, во всяком случае, вовлечь в свою орбиту как можно больше последователей. Именно поэтому нашей стране надо позаботиться о собственной модели. Ее наличие – не достаточное условие успешной конкуренции на мировой арене, но совершенно точно необходимое. В ней обязательно будут изъяны. Но если анализ опыта наших китайских и западных партнеров о чем-то нам и говорит с определенностью, так это о том, что изъяны – это нестрашно. Страшно отсутствие собственной модели.
Translation: One should treat efforts to impose alien models calmly. Every competing system takes care of its outward attractiveness and tries to offer if not universal solutions for everyone, then, at least attract, as many followers in its orbit as possible. This is precisely why our country (Russia) should develop own model. The existence of this model is not a sufficient condition for successful competitiveness at world's arena but it is for sure a necessary one. This model definitely will have its flaws. But if the analysis of experience of our Chinese and Western partners tells us anything with certainty it that flaws are not to be feared. What needs to be feared is the lack of own model.
I wrote already two books and am contemplating the third one precisely on this Russian model which is neither "Western" nor Chinese. But before any political scientist begins to elaborate on Russian model they, those "scientists" have to understand that all of them, without exception, have to have a epiphany or a Winston Smith's moment with: two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows. (c) So far this is not the case with political "science" and "scientists" in Russia most, not all, of who continue to operate within the definitions paradigm developed and imposed by this very Western model which stopped working in general, and at the level of political "science" in particular.
Russia can exist only as a military-economic superpower or she will not exists at all. Superpowerdom implies things which are, except for a very general, simplified, if not to say vulgarized, concepts of technology, real science, warfare and economy are beyond the grasp of political "scientists". That is why Drobnitsky, for all his good intents and correct, I may add, assessment of China can not see Russia's model as a a combination of traditionalism mixed with yet to be fully defined share of state in economy which allows for both robust social safety net and stable technologically advanced economy. This model already exists. One thing, however, is a already clear--Russian state is in control of most of strategic resources and real industries and this is a necessary condition for survival of Russia as civilization, because it is this combination which allows Russia to produce state-of-the-art military which is in the foundation of Russia's existence.
I wrote already two books and am contemplating the third one precisely on this Russian model which is neither "Western" nor Chinese. But before any political scientist begins to elaborate on Russian model they, those "scientists" have to understand that all of them, without exception, have to have a epiphany or a Winston Smith's moment with: two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows. (c) So far this is not the case with political "science" and "scientists" in Russia most, not all, of who continue to operate within the definitions paradigm developed and imposed by this very Western model which stopped working in general, and at the level of political "science" in particular.
Russia can exist only as a military-economic superpower or she will not exists at all. Superpowerdom implies things which are, except for a very general, simplified, if not to say vulgarized, concepts of technology, real science, warfare and economy are beyond the grasp of political "scientists". That is why Drobnitsky, for all his good intents and correct, I may add, assessment of China can not see Russia's model as a a combination of traditionalism mixed with yet to be fully defined share of state in economy which allows for both robust social safety net and stable technologically advanced economy. This model already exists. One thing, however, is a already clear--Russian state is in control of most of strategic resources and real industries and this is a necessary condition for survival of Russia as civilization, because it is this combination which allows Russia to produce state-of-the-art military which is in the foundation of Russia's existence.
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