For many years, as I recall myself, and this is more than thirty years, there is still talk of an urgent need for reform. That's just all the trouble because there are few reforms, and all areas need to be reformed as soon as possible, every day counts.
This time they decided to approach the issue from its most fundamental beginning - to amend the Constitution.
But to someone like Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin - “Something I wanted: either the Constitution, or the stellar sturgeon.” There is no certainty - do you need changes or an unchanged Constitution?
Gossip immediately went - how can it be? After all, this is the basic law! Although, in fact, in every country there are amendments to the Constitution, and the US Constitution consists of amendments in general, including the second amendment, which provides for the free possession of firearms, according to the text of the amendment, necessary for the population to exercise their right to an armed uprising against tyranny.
In our case, everything is more peaceful. For example, we are proposed an amendment according to which the Russian Constitution takes precedence over international treaties. By the standards of, say, a quarter of a century ago, this seems strange. How so? After all, the world is one and abides in endless prosperity. However, as soon as it comes to crisis situations, everyone is for himself. Italy doesn’t let refugees either, and Switzerland, contrary to all standards of tolerance, refuses minarets, and in the event of a pandemic, each country imposes quarantine at its discretion.
In addition, international treaties - what is this? This is primarily money.
In the 90s, Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin decided to distribute state property to private ownership. And Komsomol functionaries got oil in their hands, called it Yukos. After some time, part of the state apparatus decided to return this oil. And 15 years later, the European Court of Human Rights decided that now the state of the Russian Federation should pay $ 50 billion to former Yukos shareholders.
So, first the Komsomol members used the bowels - they used it well and efficiently, and at the same time created various useful funds, as well as an advanced innovative company. Then other beneficiaries used the bowels - I am sure they also used it without harming themselves. And now Russia must lay out 50 billion to those who have enjoyed all this beauty before.
And what does Russia have to pay? This means that money should be allocated from the budget, which is formed from taxes. Who pays taxes? I would venture to suggest that thanks to the efforts of the former head of the tax department, and now the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin, almost everyone pays taxes. That's all for a pretty penny - for a hard earned penny - and Komsomol members to London! Why, Russian, why do you need money? You give them to the former shareholders of the company, which for some reason once received at its disposal the subsoil, as we recall, belonging to the people.
And if the Constitution says that it is more important than international treaties, then I'm sorry. No and no trial. We would be happy to pay, but the Constitution does not order us.
It is also possible in the Constitution to register the status of territories that some consider controversial. Kurile Islands? Excuse me, according to our Constitution, they belong to Russia, and the Constitution is sacred.
What other constitutional changes are ahead? We have a process of total Russification.
Top-level officials — ministers, senators, governors, deputies, and judges — will be banned at the constitutional level from having citizenship or residency in another country. This is the only possible logic - if you are in the process of building a state here, then you will probably be doing it especially well if you understand that you and your children will have to live in what you have built.
In Russia, there is a lot of space, it is literally enough for everyone, you can build it anywhere, but officials have opportunities. Let ennoble the home territory.
The Constitution also proposes to consolidate the state-forming role of the Russian language and call the state-forming Russian people.
There is a certain degree of philological play in this. It seems that the word “Russian” may not appeal to those who live in Russia but don’t consider themselves Russian, has the right to do so, we all know that there are 160 nationalities in the country. But it is precisely in this lexical dualism that all Russian is consolidated.
The state and most important language is Russian. State-forming people - Russian. In other words, the people of Russia are all who speak Russian. It does not matter what kind of person is of nationality, Russian is a supranational, almost metaphysical concept. To be Russian, you need to want to be Russian and speak the appropriate language - thus, the Constitution leaves the right of every person in the world to become Russian and to remain forever. Because this, in general, is a good prospect - mobile, but reliable. We, of course, are changing the Constitution, but changing it towards sustainability.
This is the Russian paradox - to resist, you need to move.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.