Yaroslavl Forum Newsletter, March 29, 2011
The topic of the issue is «Russia and the Global Crisis of States»
Is it really possible to speak that modern states are presently suffering what can be termed a crisis of legitimacy? Does this crisis concern only the Middle East region or is it also being reflected in the West? What are the pillars that loyalty to today’s political institutions currently rests upon, without which the entire political system would inevitably collapse? Is it really considered out of fashion to be loyal to the state? Do government authorities and society need a new “social contract”? What is the main point around which such a new “social contract” could possible centre?
These questions are answered by the following experts:
John Dunn, a British philosopher and expert on the history of political thought, who represents the Cambridge school of political thought; Alexei Pushkov, a journalist, political scientist, author and host of the TV show ‘Postscriptum’; Chris Hedges, an American journalist, writer, and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize; Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian political scientist and Professor of Political Science at Innsbruck University; Vladimir Pligin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Constitutional Legislation and Nation-Building; and Andrew Kuchins, the Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Russia and the Eurasia Program.
This issue features a discussion about whether a crisis of Russian statesmanship could potentially emerge and how it is possible to prevent it. The following authors take part in this debate: Gleb Pavlovsky, the Editor-in-chief of the Russian Journal; Alexander Morozov, the Director of the Media Studies Centre at the Institute of Cultural Studies (UNIK); Alexander F. Filippov, a renowned sociologist and philosopher; and Valery Fadeev, the Director of the Institute for Social Planning and Editor-in-chief of the periodical ‘Expert’.
This issue also presents the opinion of Manuel Castells, a leading scholar of the information society, who is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California (Berkeley)
СОДЕРЖАНИЕ:
John Dunn
THE TIME OF THE SPLIT SOCIETIES
GORDON CHANG
COLLUSION BETWEEN COMMUNISTS AND SUPER-RICH
Gleb Pavlovsky
DMITRY MEDVEDEV AND THE NEW REALPOLITIK-2012
Alexander Morozov
THE SNARE OF HABERMAS
Alexander F. Filippov
RUSSIA: NOT RULING POWER AND SOCIETY, BUT NOBILITY AND PEOPLE
Valery Fadeev
THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO THE STATE
Sergey Shmidt
LOYALISM WILL WIN EVEN IF IT FALLS OUT OF FASHION
ALEXANDER SHMELEV
THE DECREASE IN LOYALTY
Gerhard Mangott
RUSSIA NEEDS A LEADER
LEONID RADZIKHOVSKY
WHERE IS MEDVEDEV’S AGENDA?
ANDREW KUCHINS
NEW MIDDLE CLASS AGENDA
Timur Aliev
DESIRE TO SAVE STATESMANSHIP
Peter Schulze
LEVIATHAN IS AN IMAGE OF THE PAST
Vladimir Pligin
IN SEARCH FOR NEW LEGITIMACY
Goeran Therborn
ELITES NEED TO BE REINED!
Chris Hedges
COUP D’ETAT IN SLOW MOTION
SANGEETH VARGHESE
SHAKY AUTHORITARIANISM
Alexei Pushkov
ACTIONS INSTEAD OF PROGRAMS
Manuel Castells
GLOBAL DEMOCRACY OF INTERNET
