Post by LFC on Sept 26, 2022 17:10:23 GMT
Interesting take on the "riflerendrums" (great term from a comment I read) and why they aren't being done for the reason of a fig leaf to the rest of the world. Instead it's a view more like a parent punishing and training their wayward children. This makes sense from the justifications coming from Russia and the much earlier discussion in this thread about the view of the Russian artistic elite of the inferior Ukrainians.
Understandably, many people call these illegal, rigged, & a "travesty of democracy." But portraying them merely as fake democracy misrepresents and understates what Russia is actually doing. Let me explain. 1/
As many people, such as @roger_Moorhouse, @reinraud, @kuldkeppmart, have already pointed out, these elections are eerily similar to Soviet elections during its expansion to Poland and the Baltic States in 1939-40. 2/
After securing military control over the territories, Soviet power staged rushed elections to the so-called people’s assemblies or people’s parliaments there, claiming 90%+ support for pro-Soviet deputies. These deputies then “requested” the territories to join the USSR, etc. 3/
But why did the Soviets stage these elections? Why did they make millions of people physically participate in a predetermined vote? Why did they bother? 4/
The usual answer is that by claiming 90%+ support, the Soviets sought to fake legality and lie to the outside world that the Balts and Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian populations genuinely wanted to join the USSR. 5/
But the question then becomes, why did Stalin’s Soviet Union (who had just been expelled from the League of Nations) suddenly care about liberal democracy, international law, and legality? Why did they care about western public opinion?
The answer is: they didn’t. 6/
As many people, such as @roger_Moorhouse, @reinraud, @kuldkeppmart, have already pointed out, these elections are eerily similar to Soviet elections during its expansion to Poland and the Baltic States in 1939-40. 2/
After securing military control over the territories, Soviet power staged rushed elections to the so-called people’s assemblies or people’s parliaments there, claiming 90%+ support for pro-Soviet deputies. These deputies then “requested” the territories to join the USSR, etc. 3/
But why did the Soviets stage these elections? Why did they make millions of people physically participate in a predetermined vote? Why did they bother? 4/
The usual answer is that by claiming 90%+ support, the Soviets sought to fake legality and lie to the outside world that the Balts and Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian populations genuinely wanted to join the USSR. 5/
But the question then becomes, why did Stalin’s Soviet Union (who had just been expelled from the League of Nations) suddenly care about liberal democracy, international law, and legality? Why did they care about western public opinion?
The answer is: they didn’t. 6/
Putin’s logic is the following: the people of Ukraine have been corrupted by decades of liberal and nationalist propaganda, western-imposed false consciousness that has blinded them of their true and historically predetermined interests – joining Mother Russia. 16/
The elections in occupied Ukraine are thus driven by a stern socio-pedagogical agenda of forcing Ukrainians to accept the ideals and identity of Russkii mir. If one refuses, one should rightfully be disciplined, a situation akin to an authoritarian school environment. 17/
The Soviets called their ideological indoctrination effort "ideo-political upbringing" or ideino-politicheskoye vospitanie, "vospitanie" implying a quasi-violent parental authority over the "immature" society (mainly the peasant mass and the unenlightened workers). 18/
The Soviet ideopolitical upbringing ethos was rooted not only in Marxist consciousness-forging but in deeper Russian disciplinary culture that endures in various realms of everyday life to this day 19/
And this disciplinary agenda also lies at the heart of Russian efforts at violently re-educating Ukrainians.
(and fighting the assumed enemy's – the "Ukro-radicals'" – counter-re-education. Russia is projecting, of course). 20/
So, every time you hear about Russia orchestrating “referenda at gunpoint,” don’t think of these as a mere imitation of liberal democracy (as if ordinary Russians cared about democracy) or an attempt to fool the global public opinion (as if we're so stupid). 21/
(And here, I slightly disagree with @timothydsnyder that the referendums are a mere “media exercise” akin to ballot-stuffing at home. They are something much more.) 22/
The elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine are an exercise of forcible public indoctrination where people have to physically affirm their new identity imposed from abroad: choose *our* side in history or perish. Be a Russian or a Nazi. Leviathan is watching. 23/
It is only ironic that Putin has appropriated the hyper-constructivist Stalinist practice to pursue his genocidal primordialist goals – liquidating Ukrainians as a nation and forcing them to join Russkii mir. 24/
Putin is a grotesque murderous pedagogue of sorts, disciplining entire populations to accept his authority and agenda. Doesn't matter how many Ukrainians oppose him; he'll keep on "disciplining" them. "Little Russians" just need to "learn" what is "in their best interest." END
The elections in occupied Ukraine are thus driven by a stern socio-pedagogical agenda of forcing Ukrainians to accept the ideals and identity of Russkii mir. If one refuses, one should rightfully be disciplined, a situation akin to an authoritarian school environment. 17/
The Soviets called their ideological indoctrination effort "ideo-political upbringing" or ideino-politicheskoye vospitanie, "vospitanie" implying a quasi-violent parental authority over the "immature" society (mainly the peasant mass and the unenlightened workers). 18/
The Soviet ideopolitical upbringing ethos was rooted not only in Marxist consciousness-forging but in deeper Russian disciplinary culture that endures in various realms of everyday life to this day 19/
And this disciplinary agenda also lies at the heart of Russian efforts at violently re-educating Ukrainians.
(and fighting the assumed enemy's – the "Ukro-radicals'" – counter-re-education. Russia is projecting, of course). 20/
So, every time you hear about Russia orchestrating “referenda at gunpoint,” don’t think of these as a mere imitation of liberal democracy (as if ordinary Russians cared about democracy) or an attempt to fool the global public opinion (as if we're so stupid). 21/
(And here, I slightly disagree with @timothydsnyder that the referendums are a mere “media exercise” akin to ballot-stuffing at home. They are something much more.) 22/
The elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine are an exercise of forcible public indoctrination where people have to physically affirm their new identity imposed from abroad: choose *our* side in history or perish. Be a Russian or a Nazi. Leviathan is watching. 23/
It is only ironic that Putin has appropriated the hyper-constructivist Stalinist practice to pursue his genocidal primordialist goals – liquidating Ukrainians as a nation and forcing them to join Russkii mir. 24/
Putin is a grotesque murderous pedagogue of sorts, disciplining entire populations to accept his authority and agenda. Doesn't matter how many Ukrainians oppose him; he'll keep on "disciplining" them. "Little Russians" just need to "learn" what is "in their best interest." END
