Тег: Butrin

What to do if a friend and ally promotes a policy of authoritarianism and political regulations?

Is this a reason not to interact with him in any way other than through formal tools, as Mikhail Svetov enjoined us? Even if it is a friend, even if he is against Putin?

Vasily

I am not such a purist in this regard. Before the Adam Smith readings, I published a selection of my favorite materials from there, and my first item was a report by Dmitry Butrin “Non-cooperative Games”, about how important it is not to make a squeamish face when mentioning minor tactical successes, about how the drive for complete and final dominance over all ideological rivals looms over all Russian politics, and how important it is to know how to build coalitions.

Of course, if you promote hatred of the nomenklatura, then for your reputation as a fervent lustrator, it is very important not to get tainted by any informal relationships, even with the liberal opposition, unless it has passed a strict check for ideological purity. But if you plan, for example, to run for deputy, the ability to negotiate, both formally and informally, will be invaluable. To know where to start dismantling the system in your own small area, you need to study how the system works in that area. For this purpose, it is quite acceptable not only to hang out at the birthday party of a liberal radio station, but even to go and work as an assistant to a Communist deputy.

If people are to be judged by their deeds, then they should be judged by their deeds. Having a drink with someone at a party is not a deed; it is leisure. I had a short romance with a guy from some paramilitary nationalist group—there are countless such groups, I didn’t even remember the name. We constantly argued about political topics, and he honestly stated that if they came to power, it would be at the cost of great bloodshed, and that we liberals would be hanged from lampposts immediately after the government was executed. Did this interfere with our relationship? No, not at all. Did it affect my views? Yes, it did; I came to better understand the worldview of these guys, their concept of justice and national pride. If a minarchist scenario is realized in Russia, the knowledge gained will allow me to avoid hanging them from lampposts, because these cats can be prepared in a different way.

Also, at his insistence, I struggled through B. H. Liddell Hart’s “Strategy of Indirect Approach” (hello to Belisarius from the previous post), but that is a slightly different story.

Sir Basil, as it were, says: Mikhail, do not go head-on

Readings of Adam Smith

I hope that you are already gradually preparing for the Adam Smith Readings, which will take place in Moscow on November 4. Not only is it the largest annual Russian libertarian conference, but this year is its anniversary; it is celebrating its tenth year and should be held at a particularly high level. So, if you have the opportunity, be sure to go; you won’t regret it. You will hear Ekaterina Schulmann, the best Russian popularizer of political science, Natalia Zubarevich, who knows and can talk about the situation in Russian regions magnificently, and Vera Kichanova, our answer to state-oriented urbanists. And a few other good guys)))

And while the Readings haven’t started yet, be sure to subscribe to the Readings YouTube channel, where you can find not only recordings of previous Readings, but also some other equally interesting presentations.

I want to recommend several recordings from there that personally made a great impression on me and seem very important.

First, of course, is Dmitry Butrin, “Non-Cooperative Games”, a report from the seventh Readings in 2015. A very refreshing cold shower for everyone involved in politics. It may cause some rejection, but try to digest it. Especially relevant for those preoccupied with party building.

Secondly, a webinar by Alexander Rakviashvili that is quite similar in message: “Libertarian Reforms: Why It Is So Difficult”. This is especially recommended for those who, in the survey on preferred methods of achieving ancap chose the political path.

And thirdly (three is a sacred number for Russia), for variety, I will mention the optimistic report by Sergey Seleev, “Garage Economy in the Russian Province”, delivered at the eighth Readings in 2016. Unfortunately, the recording quality is poor, and the presentation did not make it into the frame. You can consider this an allegory for ancap, which, under current conditions, generally looks quite unsightly.

I hope the proposed selection not only allowed you to look at the surrounding reality differently, but also tells you something about me.

In closing, I will mention that money is required to hold the Readings. As is easy to see, the donation wallet is currently not very full, with only 6 transactions totaling 0.01429703btc. I urge you to add more there, as far as possible.