#8
Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2001
From: "Oppozitsiya" <oppozitsiya@narod.ru>
Subject: OPPOZITSIYA (Resistance) http://oppozitsiya.narod.ru
OPPOZITSIYA (Resistance)
http://oppozitsiya.narod.ru
TO OUR FOREIGN READERS
We are proud to announce the appearance of the Internet Russian/English version of the Russian periodical Oppozitsiya (Resistance). The English version will initially publish full or partial translations and/or abstracts of the leading articles from the Russian version.
Oppozitsiya has been published in Moscow since May 1993. Its Editorial Board consists of members of extra-parliamentary opposition organizations, such as Free Russia, the League of Independents, and "Russian Mass Action for the National Liberation". Their programmatic statements and positions can be found on the pages of Oppozitsiya.
Our publication is also open to other associations and individuals of every nationality that are broadly critical of Russia's present-day oligarchical capitalism and authoritarian police state, reject racism, ethnic and religious intolerance and all forms of violence, except as a means of individual self-defense. Within these parameters, the opinion of the authors does not necessarily coincide with the position of the Editorial Board.
Our general political principles include: * systematic opposition to the "presidential" autocracy and Boris Yeltsin's political dynasty that were imposed upon the country as a result of the anti-parliamentary coup in September-December 1993 and again in August-December 1999 * the need to replace the ruling alliance of post-Soviet "nomenklatura" establishment, security services and mafia by democratic alternatives * the need for a far-reaching constitutional reform, including the establishment of parliamentary and judiciary oversight of the executive, the formation of the executive on the basis of parliamentary elections and elections of the local self-government * the need to re-evaluate property relations in the country on the basis of the principles of justice and long-term economic interests of the majority of Russia's citizens * providing support and publicity for all instances and forms of legal resistance to harmful actions by government and corporate agencies against disadvantaged groups and individuals, at home and abroad.
We believe that the present political and economic regime in Russia is partly a consequence of interventions by the IMF and transnational corporations (with support by some agencies and groups within Western governments, primarily in the U.S.) in Russia's domestic developments and economic policies. As represented by its present government in the G-8 and other institutions of the global establishment, the Russian Federation has taken wrong sides in the dialogue between the rich minority and the poor majority of mankind. We are opposed to this stand, especially given that as a result of the one-sided "globalization" the overwhelming majority of Russians now belong to the "Third World" by social, economic and other indicators.
We therefore follow with interest and sympathy the activities of progressive forces worldwide, including the so-called "anti-globalist" movement. We support many of its policy stands, including: * international civil society control over IFIs; * taxation of financial transactions; * elimination of "off-shore" tax havens; * debt cancellations for heavily indebted poor countries, as well as individuals and medium and small businesses worldwide.
We invite the cooperation and support by the international movements for the democratization of the global order and by their individual participants. We welcome their contributions to our publication and discussion on our website. We intend to cover their activities, as well as the prospects of their spillover into Russia, for our Russian audience.
Sincerely yours,
Editorial Board, Oppozitsiya
E-mail: oppozitsiya@narod.ru
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