Russian nationalism - theoretical explanations
This issue came up in a little exchange I had with La Russophobe about apparent contradiction between Russian crude nationalism and disdain towards, say, Chechens, and their apparent desire to keep Chechnya as a part of Russia.
Here is the exchange that followed La Russophobe's article:
Me:
Most Russians don't even seem to realize how pervasive their xenophobia is. They are routinely commenting about Azery traders at markets "taking over". There was a segment about falling Russian population numbers and a proposal in the Duma to impose tax on childless adults. At some point somebody mockingly suggested importing Chinese, but then in all seriousness the suggestion was scoffed since it would create a different nation. Apparently it is better to die as a nation then to mingle with inferiors.
Nationalizm is in all truths the last resort of a scoundrel and unfortunately, except for petrodollars, Russians have to go back into history to look for objects of pride. It is a very sad situation, but the nationalism helps prevent what Thomas Sowell called "cultural cringe" of Scotts and Japanese that propelled these two ethnic groups.
Instead, Russians, like the French, are drawing on former glory, dreaming of return of the empire.
La Russophobe said...
CYRILL:
As bad as the racism is, you can at least comprehend how it can fester in a country so far removed from the reality of the rest of the world.
But what I simply can't get my mind around is how these same Russians can claim that a place like Chechnya is "part of Russia" such that foreigners can't interfere with it and it can never have its independence. By any logic, Russians should want to eject Chechnya from their midst like a microbe, they should be begging Chechnya to leave, and yet the do the opposite. It can't possibly be because Russia, with the most territory of any nation in the world, feels it can't spare the acres.
Then again, I guess that is where all the riddle-wrapped-in-a-mystery stuff comes from.
I think this issue is quite important to just let it go without explanation and as a person with most keen ability to see an elephant in the room, as someone once called me, I do have an explanation.
To start, this behaviour - nationalism, racism, imperial ambitions are not Russian in origin. They are quite universal. To understand why Russians (or extrapolate it onto current West Europeans and their recent Third World immigrants) one needs to understand one of the most fundamental aspects of feudal society: pyramid.
Throughout the centuries Russia, like any other feudal state has experienced a trickle-up. With more technological advancements, trade, improvements in production and yields, more and more wealth was created and quite often that wealth came not from the upper crust of the aristocracy, but rather from mid levels: merchants, kuptsy. The same thing by the way happened in Europe, in, say, Venice, that monopolised spice trade with Asia and made lots of money.
As a result, a new wealth moved upwards, it demanded to be admitted to the upper crust and so former wealthy merchants, bankers and such became a part of ruling upper crust. Medici in Florence are the greatest of examples.
This trickle up process continued through history and eventually turned into the trickle up flood in the XXth century. It eventually consumed everyone in Europe and lifted them as tide lifts all boats. So, now, everyone is upper crust. In France, as an old Russian joke says, even janitors wash their feet with french soap.
Besides pure social and economic components of the desire to move upwards, there is a psychological component and it does require that somebody MUST stay below. That is the main driving source for the apparent Russian contradiction: hate Chechens but want to keep them.
Communism eventually made all Russians comfortable with the ideas of egalitarianism... among Russians. But someone has to be below.
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What do Russians think of Western Europeans and Americans? Are they "above" Russians or "below" them?
Are Russians amenable to a civil rights movement among Chechens? If one were initiated, could Chechens make the same sort of strides that American blacks have made? Or does the physical war against the Chechens make this a different situation, so that Chechens have no hope for the future?
If Russians take this view of Chechens, does this mean Chechen terrorism is rational?
If 10% of China emigrated to Russia, Russia would be suddenly half-Chinese, and half, well, Russian and others. It would not be Russia in any meaningful sense of the word. I mean, yeah there would be a country on the map called Russia, but it would have an entirely different culture and ethnic makeup.
Maybe Russians do feel they are superior to the Chinese. I really don't know. But my point is that the desire for cultural or ethnic self-preservation does not require that you imagine yourself superior to others. I don't think I'm better than the guy downstairs, but I don't want him moving into my apartment and redecorating it to his tastes! Does that offend you? If yes, why? Would you let me move into your apartment and redecorate it? If no, why does it offend you when nations make the analagous decision?