I don't like Žižek, but his texts about Ukraine are much better than what many other left-wing intellectuals write. Nevertheless, even his texts show that he doesn't know details known to almost every Ukrainian. In particular, his recent article...
🧵 1/
project-syndicate.org/commentary/ukr…
🧵 1/
project-syndicate.org/commentary/ukr…
Žižek write about Ukraine between two colonialisms (Russian and Western), IMF pressure and the threat of economic colonization of Ukraine by Western capital.
2/
2/
Although Žižek started the article with a story about the series Servant of the People, in which Zelensky played the role of the president Holoborodko, he didn't mention an interesting detail.
3/
3/
The TV series the relationship between Holoborodko and the IMF developed quite differently from the real Zelensky. In the series, Holoborodko rejects the demands of the IMF, breaks off relations with them and expels their delegation from Ukraine.
4/
4/
In reality, when Zelensky became president, it was impossible. Ukraine depended on IMF finances, especially during the pandemic.
5/
5/
But the very fact that Zelensky's screenwriters described relations with the IMF in this way shows that a significant part of the Ukrainian people and the ruling class is critical of Western financial institutions.
6/
6/
At the same time, for the absolute majority of Ukrainian society, in the situation between Russian tanks and Western banks, the choice is obvious.
7/
7/
An uncritical attitude towards the West is widespread only among the middle class. But during the war, even this part of Ukrainian society began to look much more critically at the West.
8/
8/
But this, of course, does not save Ukraine from the threat of even greater dependence on Western capital after the war. For this, at least the cancellation of Ukraine's foreign debt is necessary.
9/
cancel-ukrainian-debt.org
9/
cancel-ukrainian-debt.org
Moreover, neoliberal hegemony is unlikely to disappear after the war. Even without Western demands, the Ukrainian authorities persistently pursue anti-social policies.
But this doesn't mean that Zelensky is simply an executor of the interests of oligarchs or Western capital.
10
But this doesn't mean that Zelensky is simply an executor of the interests of oligarchs or Western capital.
10
In general, the class nature of Zelensky's politics reminds me of how some commentators characterized the Orange Revolution - a revolution of millionaires against billionaires.
11/
11/
During his tenure, Zelensky sometimes cooperated and sometimes clashed with the oligarchs, but he constantly tried to limit their political influence. And now used the war and achieved considerable success in this.
12/ theguardian.com/world/2022/jul…
12/ theguardian.com/world/2022/jul…
When things were bad, he complied with Western demands, but when he could, he tried to sabotage it, such as anti-corruption institutions that limited his power, destroyed the informal advantages of Ukrainian capital and strengthened the position of transnational capital.
13/
13/
This was not a policy in the interests of the middle class (let alone the working class).
In general, this was a policy in the interests of the social category to which Zelensky himself belongs - the "middle" bourgeoisie. Rich capitalists, but smaller than oligarchs.
14/
In general, this was a policy in the interests of the social category to which Zelensky himself belongs - the "middle" bourgeoisie. Rich capitalists, but smaller than oligarchs.
14/
They are interested in limiting the political influence of the oligarchs, but at the same time they are interested in limiting labor rights more than the oligarchs.
15/
15/
We don't know what Ukrainian politics will be like after the war. But it's already obvious that it will change very much.
16/
16/
We will have to take advantage of the reduction in the influence of the oligarchs, and at the same time prevent Zelensky from establishing an authoritarian regime and repel the attack on the working class
17/
17/
Whether it will succeed depends not only on a weak political and leftist movement, but also on how much of the middle class will be able to free itself from neoliberal illusions. And it also depends on international solidarity
/end
/end
As my colleague Denys Gorbach rightly wrote, Yushchenko's team was poorer than the oligarchs, but they were quite rich capitalists. Whereas Zelensky's team is even poorer than them.
And in general, if we talk about the class whose interests are expressed by Zelensky's policy, it's classic bourgeoisie - not the oligarchs, who have no control over the state apparatus
@threadreaderapp unroll
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
