“The government has no vision for the future. There are people Gaidar school that denies the need for ideology, long-term economic development plans and build a coherent cultural and educational policy. According to them, we must integrate into Western civilization – at least on the sidelines. “And there we’ll see.” This path does not lead us out of the crisis”.
These words do not belong to some kind of leftist-the carbonaro and successful entrepreneur with a vast practical experience. Konstantin Babkin – President of Board Trading-industrial Russian industrial development and competitiveness of the economy, the President of the Association “Rosspetsmash”, co-owner of the plant “Rostselmash”.
Babkin believes that the country is in crisis:
– The way we go since the collapse of the Soviet Union, led us into a dead end. We do not seem to “sink”, but do not develop as they should develop a country with such wealth and history. We have the largest in the world, unique natural resources, the world achievements in science and manufacture, and human potential. You need only reasonable to manage all of this.
But we do not see!
Instead of development, to protect and support people receive from the state the continued refusal of social obligations, increasing inequality and declining living standards, the incompetence and rudeness of officials, and all this against the background of demonstrative luxury and wealth of the “elite”. A steady decline in social expenditures – the citizens themselves have to pay for education and healthcare, increasing taxes on housing and land.
If you listen to the people that determine the economic policy of the government, we still long to sit in the pit that we categorically are not satisfied.
We are not satisfied with mass poverty of the people. This is absolutely unnatural! People don’t like bad roads, substandard housing, ugly buildings, the trash and the landfill. And, most importantly, the lack of social mobility for young people. The elevators are clogged! But the children of the elite, we seem to raise new nobles. And the rest, it turns out, is a burden, not a source of power of the state?! Some intellectuals today offer to replace the people an artificial intelligence, robots, feeding people with artificial food.
– What kind of society should we build?
– Can’t have pure capitalism or pure socialism. You need a combination of these forms of human society, the most suitable for Russia. I believe that today we categorically do not have enough democracy, not enough socialism in terms of equitable distribution of public goods, access to education, to medicine. It is necessary to “mix in” socialism in our society.
But at the same time necessary and capitalism, which should be understood not as the power of the oligarchs, and how the freedom of enterprise, private property. The important role belongs to the personal initiative and business. In this case, private initiative will not replace the strategic planning of development of industries and regions, infrastructure and social environment. Ideally, the government, business and society must work as a single mechanism.
The poor must be able to work and earn a decent pay for work, the rich have the ability to take the initiative to create new businesses and jobs. The evolutionary path of development based on past experience, on the initiative of citizens – is vital for our country.
Russia must play in the top League to be among the economically and technologically developed countries of the world. This obliges us history.
– How do you assess the current state of relations between the authorities and society?
Our formal political system has become a dummy wrapper, which was worth nothing. In the end, people have desires, needs, Russia has developed a program changes, but this has not resulted in the existing political forces. They are not even represented in the elections.
And it is very dangerous. Modern elite create the illusion of strength to their position of competitors they are to the institutions of government are not allow, replace them with “simulacra”. But social progress and people’s desire to change the lives of unstoppable. The lack of open political competition only leads to freezing problems, the injection of steam and eventually could cause the next big crisis.
The government isolated from the people through political strategies. Democracy is emasculated, the tool of elections as a method of influence is not working. Economic policy is determined by liberals who are incapable, do not want to bring the country out of a deep pit.
We need more democracy, more fresh air in the corridors of power. It will definitely help the country. People want development, changes in economic policy. Need a new course aimed at the creation! People became much less tolerant of corruption and theft.
– You are the leader of the “party of Business”, which recently withdrew from the election in Sevastopol. As, however, and other “unplanned” political power. A very unpleasant story. But the question is about something else: are you willing to cooperate in the political process? Maybe the output in the Union?
– We work with all parties. With the Communists, LDPR and “Fair Russia” acted against the retraction of the WTO. With individual members of “United Russia” we are making measures to support agriculture or engineering.
The same tactics in relation to non-parliamentary parties and movements. For example, “Left front” we stand in defense of the Kuril Islands, with the “Other Russia” held a rally for a new course and build a just society.
We are ready to cooperate in those areas where our interests coincide. Another thing is that the law prohibits electoral blocs. Such a rule aims at the fragmentation of the opposition.
For the nomination of the party in the regional elections it is necessary to collect a certain number of signatures. This is a normal procedure. But what happens in reality? Our signature many times invalidated on a completely trumped-up pretexts. It is necessary to toughen punishment for those who falsificare and dilutes the elections. Without a coherent political system that responds to the challenges of a strong nation cannot be built.
– Why our ruling class does not believe in Russia and its people? The ruling class – the victim of delusions, false ideas? Or these people act consciously, pragmatically?
– I think that the people who saddled up, primarily, of commodity flows and the wealth of the country, behave rationally. They want to see the part of the world elite. Build planes in Russia, to sew clothes here for them is a burden. It is better to pay the Chinese, they will do anything.
Take our oligarchs. Why would they strain to protect the machinery in Russia? They have oil flowing, they have yachts. They all like it. And to change the current policy they do not need.
The modern Russian elite was created deliberately. Chubais, Gaidar and other distributed wealth of the country to the globalists who don’t focus on life in Russia. And we want to live here, and we need good roads here, and not somewhere in the Canary Islands, where their families are. But it is more important than their yacht.
“The raw materials” no, not idiots, they just have different interests. But it is a narrow stratum of society and other people – 140 million, and we have to unite to economic policy work in the interests of the majority.
– Many industries we have almost lost. Factories destroyed, no staff, in technology ahead of us for decades Japan, USA and other countries. I think that the industry can still raise?
– The same words that it is impossible to do in Russia of combines and tractors, we heard 20-25 years ago. But now we are building the machinery and sell it in America, in Germany, in 40 countries. Everything is possible, if you want to take up the case.
I travel around the country and see the same success as in the farm machinery sector, in different industries. In Ryazan on high-tech enterprise produces equipment for road construction, it is a good level metal structure. In Zelenograd produce good electronics. There are smart guys, desire to work, but there is no policy aimed at supporting the industry. If there are low taxes, cheap loans, protectionism, we will succeed. The main thing – to take. In Russia there is all: the market, the necessary resources – the whole periodic table. And the money too.
It is necessary to make so that in Russia was profitable to build. The entire economic policy should focus not on the interests of the speculators, as it is today, and those who creates.
This simple policy of the three components. First: low taxes and cheap resources. Second: to protect the market and support of domestic producers on foreign markets. Third – loose monetary policy. There are cheap loans available for consumers, and for manufacturers that need to be updated.
Of course, you need a lot more. For example, training.
But most importantly, today it is possible to make so that the money is in Russia, came to the real sector, and not flowing out of the country. If it is profitable, people will start to invest in production.
Remember, it was profitable to build houses – all built up suburbs. If it is profitable to produce furniture, then the sector will work right away.
– You were an enemy of the country’s accession to the WTO. How do you see Russia’s place in the global division of labour?
We do not owe anyone anything! We must make sure that our house was in full swing of economic life that it was comfortable to live in Russia. With this we will be able to sell to others – the second question.
We can do that in Russia almost everything – airplanes, electronics, cars, clothing, food. Tropical fruits, probably not worth it to grow. And everything else we have enough strength and intelligence. So no need to think about the fact that we have something someone must give. We need to build, first of all, a strong country, to Shine, to please myself.
If we are strong, we will be interested in all the neighbors. With attractive country always want to be friends.
We don’t have from someone close. Enough not to create in Russia preferences for foreign companies, as is happening now.
Today you can hear that protectionism does not work. It leads to trade wars of all against all.
– Protectionism in the modern sense – just a level playing field.
With protectionist easy to talk to. For example, the Hungarian manufacturer, we can say: “You don’t buy our harvesters,” and he’ll say, “did you not take our canned vegetables.” It is possible to bargain and to conclude bilateral agreements enabling producers to interact and move forward.
But the globalists, active supporters of the WTO, to find a common language does not work. They work for global corporations, protection of interests of the country for the second time.
Protectionism sweeping the globe. Trump consistently protect its manufacturers. And he will achieve serious progress in the economic development of America. In many countries the voice of the protectionists are heard. In the same China. But we must not stop or embarrass. This is a normal process, and we need it to move, to cooperate with these countries in defending their interests. It is quite possible to do. Protectionism is a matter of time.
A strong Russia to protect their interests, will be of interest to all. In any country there are people with whom you can collaborate. From my experience I know that if Russia builds good machinery, then talk to you calmly, collaborate and support you and Canadians and Argentines, and Kyrgyz, and Mongols, and Chinese. If the country is self-sufficient, producing interesting products, culturally distinctive, then it is easy to make friends and find a common language.
Therefore, we must rely on the people are really reasonable, not aimed at the suppression of the world around them, but co-operation. And of an absolute majority in all countries of the world they are.
I interviewed Lydia Sycheva
The book the Book “We are still Russian” here and here
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