Vladimir Chabanov - Harmonious Economics or The New World Order

For this reason, Russian people seek the supreme outside of themselves and find joy in the shared well-being alone. Where the West tries to resolve the main issues through force, Russia proceeds with a compromise, with an attempt to reach agreement. According to a Russian proverb, “ There is no such thing as alien trouble ’. In the West, on the contrary, they say “ It’s your problem! ” (and translated into Russian this even sounds awkward). This is why “ Russian people live happily as long as they know that injustice perseveres in the world ’ (Charles de Gaulle). The grand distances that the Russians have to cross have taught them to think big: “ vast spaces have imprinted on the Russian sou l’ as Nikolay Berdyaev said. This is how socialism conquered Russia, which has always strived for justice more than for rationality or its own security.

While a man of the West defends his individuality and singularity, a Russian man defends his belonging to a bigger entity. Europeans are attached to law, to private property and to man-made justice; Russians are inspired by fairness, social prosperity and justice of Heaven. In the West, it is wealth that calls for respect, and in Russia it is public recognition. Russian people believe that fair labour will not earn you a good house , paraphrasing a well-known proverb, which proved right in most cases.

When borrowing from others, the Russian always try to make their own contributions. Thus, the Greek Orthodox religion that was adopted in the country at the end of the tenth century has been transformed to acquire a Russian character: it still preserves some pagan elements, proving in this way the continuity of religions, the respect towards national history and the past, while preserving eloquent national traits. Russian Orthodox Church has incorporated the inherent Russian aspiration for mutual completion, for respect of other opinions and faiths. And this should not come as a surprise, after all faith is not a garment, which can be changed easily and entirely.

The processes described above impregnated Russian vision of the good, justice and morality with the fundamental principles of the Orthodox religion. It excludes such ugly exaggerations as patriotic fetishism or disdain for other peoples and cultures. This form of Christianity does not accept the separation of God from his expression of the Truth, just as the Sun cannot be seen separately from its life-giving rays. A Russian proverb advises: “ defend the Truth, and God will be with you ’. Within Russian culture people are led to believe that only the nationalism that does not defy other people and does not contradict the Orthodox Christianity canons is worthy of respect. This religion’s mission consists in acting as a link between the ethnic civilisations and in encouraging mutual spiritual improvement and recreation of God’s peace, that is, formation of a fraternal union of peoples instead of serving as a source of discord and money-grabbing.

In Russia, people have always understood the value of multiplicity and the limitations and lack of expressiveness of clichés. Let us remember the Saint Basil’s Cathedral, with its violent colours, asymmetry of images, and unique design of the cupolas. This is indeed the symbol of Russia, powerful and original, incomparable with the others. This uniqueness is something that enraptures most and exasperates most at the same time. Fyodor Tyutchev was right when he wrote: “ Russia is a thing of which | the intellect cannot conceive. | Hers is no common yardstick …” 25 25 Cit. ex F. Tyutchev, The Complete Poems of Tyutchev. Translated by F. Jude (Durham, 2000).

The Russians, however, always seek something proper and original. This distinguishes them from other peoples and often makes them seem stupid and pathetic. The irrationality and the romanticism of the Russians is hard, sometimes even impossible to understand. It is not rare for Russian people to fail to put their feelings and thoughts in words. Moreover, when a Russian person looks after pecuniary personal profit, something he is not skilful at, he always ends up outwitted and betrayed, for Russians are no experts in working for their own benefit.

That is why freedom is a tool for self-affirmation for Europeans, while Russian people see it as a lack of limits, as liberty, that is, liberation of the soul. Russians understand that excessive material prosperity deforms a human being as much as scarce means of existence. This is why the motivation of a Russian man has been limited by the criterion of “sufficiency’. Here “sufficiency’ means an income sufficient to lead a decent life without subordinating and disfiguring the owner of this income.

Even though Russians unwillingly prove themselves worthy in the everyday life, they stand up to the challenge when an impossible feat is required from them. Russian people are not incline to squander their talents on trifles, they need something powerful that nobody else would cope with. Only then will they hit their stride. “ Russia cannot be saved through small actions ’, reminded Nikolay Berdyaev. Suffice it for a Russian person to cast off the mask he wears and make certain that he is right, then he acquires instantly the skill, the wisdom, the force and the beauty, as if by magic.

All these circumstances have influenced the Russian national character, remarked by many eminent personalities. “ Russian soul is infinite generosity ’, said Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. “ Russian people work diligently and gratuitously as long as there is a moral idea, righteous objective in the society ’, to quote Friedrich Hegel. Winston Churchill believed, “ The concept of good nature – living in accordance with one’s conscience – is very Russian, indeed ’ 26 26 [ Translator’s note: The attribution of these three quotations to their authors is strongly contested.] . And this has always been the attitude to Russian people. “ And asked Andrew John, his disciple: “Rabbi! To which peoples should we bring the good news of our Father in heaven?” And Joshua replied: “Go to the people in the east, and to the people in the west, and to the people in the south… But you need not go to the pagans from the north, as they know not sins and vices of the House of Israel’ (Apostle Andrew, Apocryphal Acts). However, “when they entered [the fold of] Christianity, the faith blunted their swords, the door of their livelihood was closed to them, they returned to hardship and poverty, and their livelihood shran k’ 27 27 Cit. ex V. Minorsky, Sharaf al-Zamān Ṭāhir Marvazī on China, the Turks, and India; Arabic text circa AD 1120. (London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1942). (Marvazī). But at least the Byzantine Empire gave a sigh of relief.

The severe environment typical of the Eastern Europe made it difficult to survive on one’s own, people needed support and mutual assistance. That is why they tended to live in communities, clans and tribes, and to join effort to resolve common problems. The informal relations between the members, based on the notions of truth and justice, has a higher value than formal relationships. This, in turn, influenced the family and economic relations and the entire everyday life.

In the West, the situation was quite different: the environment and the climate allowed people to live successfully on their own. The only thing required was legalizing the relationships between them. That is why the ideologic system of a rule-of-law state flourished there, imposing unconditional rule of rights and of law: “ Let the world perish, the law will triumph! ”, “ Law is strict but it is law’, etc. In Russia, the notion of “law ’ is understood in a broader manner. There is definitely a need for order in the world, however “ Only the law that views itself as an obligation is efficient ’ (M. N. Katkov, Russian government official of the twentieth century). Russia believed that “ custom is more binding than a law: a law can be made up; a custom is formulated by life itself ’ (Val. Ivanov). It is not a seemingly egalitarian law invented by people that should form a basis for the life of the human beings, but God’s laws of truth, conscience and justice.