Bungacast /425/ Reading Club: Russia's Imitation Democracy (sample)
On the late Dmitri Furman's account of post-Soviet Russia.
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We continue our discussions along this year's themes (rise and fall of nations; Russia past and present) by tackling Imitation Democracy: The Development of Russia's Post-Soviet Political System.
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Why has there been a revival in interest in the late Soviet and early post-Soviet period? And in the global 1990s in general?
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What does it really mean to be without-alternative?
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Why didn't democracy take hold in Russia? And why did it become an "imitation democracy" and not something else?
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How was Yeltsin a disaster? And what was Putin's appeal?
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Does 'Putinism' actually exist? Is it interesting or novel in any way?
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What happened after Furman's death and Russia's turn to "violent parody of the West"?
Readings:
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Imitation Democracy: The Development of Russia's Post-Soviet Political System, Dmitri Furman, Verso
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Imitation Democracies: The Post-Soviet Penumbra, Dmitri Furman, New Left Review (pdf)
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Imitation Democracy: Perry Anderson writes about Dmitri Furman’s analysis of Russia’s post-communism, Perry Anderson, London Review of Books
Listening Links:
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/114/ Reading Club: The Light That Failed - on the end of the "Age of Imitation"
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/270/ Russia vs the West ft. Richard Sakwa - on the endgame to war in Ukraine; and /271/ Russia vs the West (2) ft. Richard Sakwa - on the post-Soviet landscape
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/410/ Reading Club: Deutscher's Stalin - On Isaac Deutscher's classic Stalin: A Political Biography
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/421/ Who Are the Wrong Ukrainians? ft. Volodymyr Ishchenko - on post-Soviet Ukraine, from Maidan to war
Music: Éva Csepregi, "O.K. Gorbacsov", Hungaroton , WEA, High Fashion Music, Dureco