“Nothing is forbidden!”
Vladimir Zhirinovsky is the leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia, the vice-speaker of the State Duma, and the 12th registered candidate for the Russian presidency. He is, as they used to say, one of the “fathers” of the Russian people, a shining example for young people, the bastion of the nation, whose “wise” sayings travel all over the world.
Zhirinovsky’s latest lesson for the younger generation took place in mid- February in St. Petersburg, where, according to RIA Novosti, he answered questions fielded by professors and students of the Russian State Pedagogical University. He clearly demonstrated the “model” qualities of a successful Russian statesman and “philosopher.” Some of his sayings at the meeting with the St. Petersburg students and scholarly elite are given below.
Answering one of the first questions about the “nature” of the national oligarchs, Zhirinovsky instructively replied: “When we eliminated the CPSU, conditions became equal for everybody...The so-called oligarchs did not rob you, did not pick your pockets, they quickly made a step forward and became rich. Why haven’t you become rich? You ought to be courageous and not naive...Generally, people are divided into those who lead and those who are led. If you don’t want to be led — be courageous. Then Russia will become a wealthy burgher, a townsman. But the Russian soul, meanwhile, calls for Stenka Razin!”
A moment later he launched another piece of enlightenment: “Generally, Russia is hampered by an excessive tendency toward spirituality. And if the spiritual keeps its priority, we will die as a nation — we are poorly dressed and hungry. It is the opposite in America — the spirit is neglected, but they are well fed and well dressed. It’s better to be a sated fool than a hungry intellectual!” concluded the “father of the nation.”
Zhirinovsky openly expressed his “unconventional” attitude to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). “We can, of course, stake on Orthodoxy in our country, but it’s all in vain. Some people say that Russia can be nothing but Orthodox. But it’s all outdated — people used to travel in wagons (this is about the ROC), but now everybody travels by car. Besides, the church plays a reactionary role in our country. Take this rule, for example: ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. How can we live then?” Zhirinovsky asked his audience mournfully. “Or another one: ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ But everybody steals! That’s why I am quite convinced that society will die if we follow the laws of the church.”
At this point some students in the audience started shouting, “Not everybody steals!” But the LDPR leader did not pay any attention to them and continued his speculations.
He offered more of his “unconventional” views on relations between Russia and Belarus (which is “easy to grind to powder”), the “golden age” of accumulation of capital, the Bologna process in education, land as private property, parliamentary affairs, and several other issues. Speaking about the union with Rogozin’s party, he said: “Nonsense! The LDPR has never united with anybody and is not going to. Only the weak and the cowardly unite. We are honest and intelligent,” said “the father of the nation.”
Zhirinovsky spun a few daydreams: “Good times are ahead. In five years we will wield power over the Caucasus and Central Asia and proceed southwards. Turkey will gradually disintegrate as well! Everything is going the right way. We must put an end to the national question and “scrape away” the small nations, and “poison them” like vermin. Let me quote another sacrilegious remark of the liberal democratic genius, which he made elsewhere: “What a miserable guy Pushkin was! It would have been better if he had never existed!”
The following idyllic scene took place last year, when “the country marked the 60th birthday of Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, Ph.D., the leader of the LDPR, deputy chairman of the State Duma, and distinguished lawyer of Russia.” That day the 18th Congress of the LDPR (“a celebration in honor of Zhirinovsky”) and “national festivities and a concert” were held in the Kremlin palace and Vasilevsky Spusk near Pokrovsky Cathedral, respectively. Why not? Zhirinovsky occupies a worthy place among “the greats” of Russia. We can foresee in due time his remains being embalmed and placed in a luxurious mausoleum next to that of Lenin, who also liked to shock the public.
Zhirinovsky, his speeches, escapades, and, most importantly, his “philosophy” and “morality” today constitute the most noticeable and aggressive part of the Russian establishment. I can predict with a high degree of probability that a considerable number of young Russians who are coming of age profess “the gospel according to Zhirinovsky” and consider him their hero and an example worthy of emulation. Of course, this cult is supported by substantial capital accumulated by the “philosopher’s” family. This is no miserable, hungry, and drunken Khlestakov with his empty pockets and smart head.
By coincidence, just before I acquainted myself with Zhirinovsky’s latest “educational” activity, I reread The Devils by Fedor Dostoevsky, this genius’s mystical presentiment of Russia’s future. Once again I became convinced that, sure enough, Zhirinovsky has not told the world anything new, neither about himself nor about Russia. To an extraordinary degree he resembles Petr Stepanovich Verkhovensky, a character from Dostoevsky’s novel, a man who does not recognize anything sacred or forbidden; for whom the more people suffer around him the better. Below are some quotations from The Devils.
“In an uncertain time of vacillations or transitions all sorts of mean little people always appear everywhere...
They (the socialists) would be the first to be terribly upset if all of a sudden Russia by some chance remade itself and somehow became rich and happy...
What was the essence of our contemporary time of trouble, and from what to what were we heading, nobody knew, except perhaps some guests who were strangers ...
Whatever we have, both good and beautiful, comes from idleness. We do not know how to live from our own labors. We have no opinions. Because to have an opinion one needs work, practice! Nothing is free. If we work, we will have an opinion of our own. But since we will never work, opinions on our behalf will be held by those who have been working in our place up to now, that is that very Europe, those same Germans, who have been teaching us for two hundred years. Besides, Russia is too big of a misunderstanding for us to sort it out all by ourselves — without Germans and without labor.”
