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The Shifting Meaning of anti-Communism and the 2013 Protests in Bulgaria

by Georgi Medarov

Š¢housands are marching in Sofia for weeks, demanding resignation of the recently elected government - a coalition between the social democrats (BSP), the far right (ATAKA) and a liberal minority-rights party(DPS). Discontent started over the appointment of a media mogul as a head of the state security agency. His “media empire” is an exaggeration, most corporate media are highly supportive of the previous government and of the current protests. Big business and liberal activists insist on the “qualitative difference” with the winter social protests, that brought down the right wing government of GERB.

GERB prided itself for exemplary fiscal stability, yet it collapsed in the midst of riots. Tens of thousands marched for weeks in every city against high utility prices: in an outcry of despair, 7 people burnt themselves to death in protest. Liberal activists, explicitly supported by big business, asserted cynically that the poor protested in February, while now the “middle classes”, marches not for welfare, but for “values” against “the oligarchy”, trying to revive 1990s reactionary anti-communism in the imaginary figure of the “unproductive communist oligarch”, pulling the strings from behind. A mainstream “liberal” think tank published a pseudo class “analysis”, claiming there is an alliance between the oligarchy and the poor. The “unproductive” oligarchy, they claim, provides welfare, and the poor - votes, and now the “productive bourgeoisie” (with such wording) is rising in resistance. This “interpretation” translated into international right-wing media. The Economist wrote: previous unrest “featured the poor protesting about utility bills or the minimum wage”, but now it is the “members of the young educated middle class who use Facebook”.

What liberals prefer to miss is anti-communism has new meaning. It marks the displacement of the disillusionment of liberal capitalism, giving an easy explanation why most people live in such a misery, instead of the promised EU prosperity. Anti-communism shifts discontent away from capitalism and projects it onto its supposed “corrupt” form, scapegoating minorities and an imagined shadow elite. Liberal activists try to find “deeper meaning”, not only in “red scum” (a slogan from the 1990s conservative revolution), but also in the blatant homophobia, misogyny and racism of the current protests, with “Turk”, “gay” and “whore” being common accusations. Interestingly, this is precisely the ideology GERB used to gain legitimacy between 2009 and 2013, reviving 1990s anti-communism, along with liberal anti-corruption rhetorics and anti-Turkish racism. They’ve also made some gestures to accommodate the widespread socialist nostalgia, but, once again, displacing nostalgia for loss of social rights with desire for the authoritarian racism of state socialism.

Asserting the “different class content” was used by BSP, who claimed this is “class struggle” against their “progressive” policies. Š¢his is not the case, as BSP is as neoliberal as the liberal right. They introduced flat tax in 2007, along with various anti-labour reforms, and now they already cut the taxes further, and showed they have no intention in reintroducing progressive taxation.

Indeed there are key differences, there was no anti-communism and racism (there was a strong naive civic nationalism, but not racism) before. The protests were not only in Sofia and thousands of Roma joined too. Another difference is now corporate media and big business are trying to see the protests’ potential for constructing a party of the New Right. The mobilizations, however, are remarkably similar: much of same people protesting, sharing similar core demands. Despite different direct causes, both shifted to generalized discontent with political representation. Both proved unable to break out of the post-political ideology, imposed for over 15 years, and ended up in calling for more of the same: post-political technocracy against “corruption”, preventing realization of imagined European“normality”. The Economist wrote: “Bulgaria’s best hope is a technocratic government” to fight “corruption”, yet precisely technocracy lies at the roots of the crisis.

Between 1994 and 1997 BSP tried to engineer a transition to neoliberalism with a “human face”. It ended up in a dramatic failure: banking crisis, hyperinflation and riots. An anti-communist coalition that came to power in 1997 promised universal prosperity in exchange for “short term” austerity and mass privatization, that would “cleanse the communist remnants”, destroying welfare, causing mass unemployment and forcing hundreds of thousands of workers to flee to Greece, Italy and Spain. The anti-communist coalition collapsed in 2001, but since then all parties promised more “real” technocratic hope for “real” market economy, that never brought the promised prosperity, but only misery.

This hopelessness of calling for more of the same is characteristic of the current post-ideological situation: one can change politicians, but not politics. Dramatic lack of imagination is not the people’s fault, but the failure of the left to produce an alternative. Yet, it is only the (nonexistent) radical left that may heal the wound of postpolitics and break the downward spiral of mutually reinforcing conservatism and austerity.

* Georgi Medarov is a PhD student of Sociology at the University of Sofia, member of the political education group called New Left Perspectives. The article was written for the blogsite enthemata.wordpress.com

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failed evolution   1) Ī£Ļ…Ī¼Ī²Ī±ĪÆĪ½ĪµĪ¹ Ļ„Īæ Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī±Ī»ĻĻ„ĪµĻĪæ ĻƒĪ¹Ī“Ī·ĻĪæĪ“ĻĪæĪ¼Ī¹ĪŗĻŒ Ī“Ļ…ĻƒĻ„ĻĻ‡Ī·Ī¼Ī± ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī½ Ī¹ĻƒĻ„ĪæĻĪÆĪ± Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ļ‡ĻŽĻĪ±Ļ‚. 2) Ī“ĪÆĪ½ĪµĻ„Ī±Ī¹ Ī±ĻƒĻ„ĻĪ±Ļ€Ī¹Ī±ĪÆĪ± ĪµĻ€Ī¹Ļ‡ĪµĪÆĻĪ·ĻƒĪ· Ī¼ĪæĪ½Ļ„Ī¬Ī¶ Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ ĻƒĻ…Ī½ĪæĪ¼Ī¹Ī»Ī¹ĻŽĪ½ Ļ„ĪæĻ… ĻƒĻ„Ī±ĪøĪ¼Ī¬ĻĻ‡Ī· Ī±Ļ€ĻŒ Ī¼Ī·Ļ‡Ī±Ī½Ī¹ĻƒĪ¼ĻŒ Ļ„ĪæĻ… ĪŗĪ±ĪøĪµĻƒĻ„ĻŽĻ„ĪæĻ‚, Ļ€ĻĪ¹Ī½ Ī±ĪŗĻŒĪ¼Ī± Ļ†Ļ„Ī¬ĻƒĪµĪ¹ ĻƒĻ„Ī± Ļ‡Ī­ĻĪ¹Ī± Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ Ī±ĻĻ‡ĻŽĪ½, Ļ€ĻĪæĪŗĪµĪ¹Ī¼Ī­Ī½ĪæĻ… Ī½Ī± Ī±Ļ€ĪæĪ“ĪæĪøĪµĪÆ Ī· Ļ„ĻĪ±Ī³Ļ‰Ī“ĪÆĪ± Ī±Ļ€ĪæĪŗĪ»ĪµĪ¹ĻƒĻ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ¬ ĻƒĪµ Ī±Ī½ĪøĻĻŽĻ€Ī¹Ī½Īæ Ī»Ī¬ĪøĪæĻ‚ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī½Ī± Ī²Ī³ĪæĻ…Ī½ Ī±Ļ€ĻŒ Ļ„Īæ ĪŗĪ¬Ī“ĻĪæ ĪæĪ¹ Ļ€ĪæĪ»Ī¹Ļ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ­Ļ‚ ĪµĻ…ĪøĻĪ½ĪµĻ‚ Ī±Ī½ĻŽĻ„Ī±Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ ĪŗĻ…Ī²ĪµĻĪ½Ī·Ļ„Ī¹ĪŗĻŽĪ½ Ī±Ī¾Ī¹Ļ‰Ī¼Ī±Ļ„ĪæĻĻ‡Ļ‰Ī½. 3) Ī‘Ī½Ī±Ļ€Ī±ĻĪ¬Ī³ĪµĻ„Ī±Ī¹ Ļ„Īæ Ļ€Ī±ĻĪ±Ļ€ĪæĪ¹Ī·Ī¼Ī­Ī½Īæ Ļ…Ī»Ī¹ĪŗĻŒ Ī±ĻƒĻ„ĻĪ±Ļ€Ī¹Ī±ĪÆĪ± Ī±Ļ€ĻŒ Ī½Ī±Ļ…Ī±ĻĻ‡ĪÆĪ“Ī± Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ ĪŗĪ±ĪøĪµĻƒĻ„Ļ‰Ļ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ®Ļ‚ Ļ€ĻĪæĻ€Ī±Ī³Ī¬Ī½Ī“Ī±Ļ‚. 4) Ī¤ĪæĻ€ĪæĪøĪµĻ„ĪµĪÆĻ„Ī±Ī¹ ĪµĻ€Ī¹ĪŗĪµĻ†Ī±Ī»Ī®Ļ‚ ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī½ ĪµĻ€Ī¹Ļ„ĻĪæĻ€Ī®-Ļ€Ī±ĻĻ‰Ī“ĪÆĪ± Ļ€ĻĻ‰Ļ„ĪæĻ€Ī±Ī»ĪÆĪŗĪ±ĻĪæ Ļ„ĪæĻ… ĪŗĪ±ĪøĪµĻƒĻ„ĻŽĻ„ĪæĻ‚ ĪœĪ·Ļ„ĻƒĪæĻ„Ī¬ĪŗĪ· Ļ€ĪæĻ… ĪµĻĪ³Ī¬Ī¶ĪæĪ½Ļ„Ī±Ī½ Ļ€Ī±Ī»Ī¹Ī¬ ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī½ ĪÆĪ“Ī¹Ī± Ī±Ļ…Ļ„Ī® Ī½Ī±Ļ…Ī±ĻĻ‡ĪÆĪ“Ī±. 5) Ī— ĪµĻ€Ī¹Ļ„ĻĪæĻ€Ī® ĪŗĪ»ĪµĪÆĪ½ĪµĪ¹ Ī¬ĻĪæĪ½-Ī¬ĻĪæĪ½ Ļ„Ī·Ī½ Ļ…Ļ€ĻŒĪøĪµĻƒĪ· Ī±Ļ€ĪæĪŗĪ»ĪµĪÆĪæĪ½Ļ„Ī±Ļ‚ ĪæĻ…ĻƒĪ¹ĻŽĪ“ĪµĪ¹Ļ‚ Ī¼Ī¬ĻĻ„Ļ…ĻĪµĻ‚ Ļ€ĪæĻ… ĪµĪÆĻ‡Ī±Ī½ Ļ€ĻĪæĪµĪ¹Ī“ĪæĻ€ĪæĪ¹Ī®ĻƒĪµĪ¹ ĪµĻ€Ī±Ī½ĪµĪ¹Ī»Ī·Ī¼Ī¼Ī­Ī½Ī± Ļ„ĪæĪ½ Ī±ĻĪ¼ĻŒĪ“Ī¹Īæ Ļ…Ļ€ĪæĻ…ĻĪ³ĻŒ Ī³Ī¹Ī± Ļ„ĪæĪ½ ĪŗĪÆĪ½Ī“Ļ…Ī½Īæ Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»ĪæĻ… Ī“Ļ…ĻƒĻ„Ļ…Ļ‡Ī®Ī¼Ī±Ļ„ĪæĻ‚. Ī£Ļ„Ī±Ī¼Ī±Ļ„Ī¬ĪµĪ¹ Ī­Ļ„ĻƒĪ¹ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī· ĻŒĻ€ĪæĪ¹Ī± ĻƒĪµ Ī²Ī¬ĪøĪæĻ‚ Ī“Ī¹ĪµĻĪµĻĪ½Ī·ĻƒĪ· Ī³Ī¹Ī± Ļ„Ī·Ī½ Ļ„ĻƒĪ¹Ī¼ĪµĪ½Ļ„ĪæĻ€ĪæĪÆĪ·ĻƒĪ· Ļ„ĪæĻ… Ļ‡ĻŽĻĪæĻ… ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ļ„Ī·Ī½ Ī±Ļ€ĻŒĻ€ĪµĪ¹ĻĪ± ĻƒĻ…Ī³ĪŗĪ¬Ī»Ļ…ĻˆĪ·Ļ‚ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ļ„ĻĪ±Ī³Ļ‰Ī“ĪÆĪ±Ļ‚.  

Ī¤Īæ ĻƒĪŗĪ¬ĻƒĪ¹Ī¼Īæ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ļ†ĪæĻĻƒĪŗĪ±Ļ‚ ĪœĪ·Ļ„ĻƒĪæĻ„Ī¬ĪŗĪ· Ī¼Īµ Ī½Ī­Ī± ĪµĻ€ĪÆĻƒĪ·Ī¼Ī· Ļ‡ĻĪµĪæĪŗĪæĻ€ĪÆĪ± ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ ĪæĻĪ¹ĻƒĻ„Ī¹ĪŗĻŒ Ļ„Ī­Ī»ĪæĻ‚ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ī¼ĪµĻ„Ī±Ļ€ĪæĪ»ĪÆĻ„ĪµĻ…ĻƒĪ·Ļ‚

Ļ„ĪæĻ… system failure   Ī¤Ī± Ī±Ļ€ĪæĻ„ĪµĪ»Ī­ĻƒĪ¼Ī±Ļ„Ī± Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ ĪµĪŗĪ»ĪæĪ³ĻŽĪ½ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ 25Ī·Ļ‚ Ī™ĪæĻ…Ī½ĪÆĪæĻ… Ī®Ļ„Ī±Ī½ Ī»ĪÆĪ³Īæ-Ļ€ĪæĪ»Ļ Ī±Ī½Ī±Ī¼ĪµĪ½ĻŒĪ¼ĪµĪ½Ī± ĻŒĻƒĪæĪ½ Ī±Ļ†ĪæĻĪ¬ Ļ„Ī¹Ļ‚ Ļ€ĻĻŽĻ„ĪµĻ‚ ĪøĪ­ĻƒĪµĪ¹Ļ‚ Ī¼Īµ Ī²Ī¬ĻƒĪ· ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ļ„Ī± Ī±Ļ€ĪæĻ„ĪµĪ»Ī­ĻƒĪ¼Ī±Ļ„Ī± Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ļ€ĻĻŽĻ„Ī·Ļ‚ ĪŗĪ¬Ī»Ļ€Ī·Ļ‚ Ļ„ĪæĻ… ĪœĪ±ĪÆĪæĻ…. Ī‘Ī½ ĻƒĻ…Ī¼Ļ€ĪµĻĪ¹Ī»Ī¬Ī²ĪæĻ…Ī¼Īµ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ļ„Īæ Ļ€ĪæĻƒĪæĻƒĻ„ĻŒ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ Ī±Ī½Ī±Ī¼ĪµĪ½ĻŒĪ¼ĪµĪ½Ī·Ļ‚ Ī±Ļ€ĪæĻ‡Ī®Ļ‚, Ī“ĪµĪ½ Ī¼Ī±Ļ‚ Ī­Ī“Ļ‰ĻƒĪ±Ī½ ĪŗĪ¬Ļ€ĪæĪ¹Ī± Ī¹Ī“Ī¹Ī±ĪÆĻ„ĪµĻĪ· Ī­ĪŗĻ€Ī»Ī·Ī¾Ī·. Ī‘Ļ…Ļ„ĻŒ ĻŒĪ¼Ļ‰Ļ‚ Ļ€ĪæĻ… Ļ†Ī±ĪÆĪ½ĪµĻ„Ī±Ī¹ Ī½Ī± Ī±Ī¹Ļ†Ī½Ī¹Ī“ĪÆĪ±ĻƒĪµ Ī±ĪŗĻŒĪ¼Ī± ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ļ„Īæ ĻƒĻ…ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī¼Ī¹ĪŗĻŒ ĪŗĪ±Ļ„ĪµĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī¼Ī­Ī½Īæ, ĪµĪÆĪ½Ī±Ī¹ Ī· ĪµĪÆĻƒĪæĪ“ĪæĻ‚ Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ Ī“ĻĪæ Ļ…Ļ€ĪµĻĻƒĻ…Ī½Ļ„Ī·ĻĪ·Ļ„Ī¹ĪŗĻŽĪ½, Ī±ĪŗĻĪæĪ“ĪµĪ¾Ī¹ĻŽĪ½ ĪŗĪæĪ¼Ī¼Ī¬Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ ĪĪÆĪŗĪ· ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī£Ļ€Ī±ĻĻ„Ī¹Ī¬Ļ„ĪµĻ‚, Ī¼Īµ Ļ„Īæ Ļ„ĪµĪ»ĪµĻ…Ļ„Ī±ĪÆĪæ Ī½Ī± Ī­Ļ‡ĪµĪ¹ Ī¾ĪµĪŗĪ¬ĪøĪ±ĻĪµĻ‚ Ī“Ī¹Ī±ĻƒĻ…Ī½Ī“Ī­ĻƒĪµĪ¹Ļ‚ Ī¼Īµ Ļ„ĪæĪ½ Ļ€ĻĻŽĪ·Ī½ Ī§ĻĻ…ĻƒĪ±Ļ…Ī³ĪÆĻ„Ī·, Ī—Ī»ĪÆĪ± ĪšĪ±ĻƒĪ¹Ī“Ī¹Ī¬ĻĪ·. Ī Ī±ĻĪ¬ Ļ„Ī· Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»Ī· Ī½ĪÆĪŗĪ· ĪœĪ·Ļ„ĻƒĪæĻ„Ī¬ĪŗĪ·, ĪæĪ¹ Ī¼Ī¹Ī½Ļ„Ī¹Ī±ĪŗĪæĪÆ Ī¹Ī½ĻƒĻ„ĻĪæĻĻ‡Ļ„ĪæĻĪµĻ‚ Ļ„Ī·Ļ‚ ĪŗĪ±ĪøĪµĻƒĻ„Ļ‰Ļ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ®Ļ‚ Ļ€ĻĪæĻ€Ī±Ī³Ī¬Ī½Ī“Ī±Ļ‚ ĪµĪ¼Ļ†Ī±Ī½ĪÆĻƒĻ„Ī·ĪŗĪ±Ī½ ĻƒĪµ Ī³ĪµĪ½Ī¹ĪŗĪ­Ļ‚ Ī³ĻĪ±Ī¼Ī¼Ī­Ļ‚ "Ī¼ĪæĻ…Ī“Ī¹Ī±ĻƒĪ¼Ī­Ī½ĪæĪ¹" ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī±Ļ…Ļ„ĻŒ ĪæĻ†ĪµĪÆĪ»ĪµĻ„Ī±Ī¹ ĻƒĻ„Īæ Ī³ĪµĪ³ĪæĪ½ĻŒĻ‚ ĻŒĻ„Ī¹ Ļ„Īæ ĻƒĻ…ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī¼Ī¹ĪŗĻŒ ĪŗĪ±Ļ„ĪµĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī¼Ī­Ī½Īæ (Ī“Ī·Ī»Ī±Ī“Ī® Ļ„Ī± Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»Ī± ĪæĪ¹ĪŗĪæĪ½ĪæĪ¼Ī¹ĪŗĪ¬ ĻƒĻ…Ī¼Ļ†Ī­ĻĪæĪ½Ļ„Ī± Ļ€ĪæĻ… ĪµĪ»Ī­Ī³Ļ‡ĪæĻ…Ī½ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ļ„Īæ ĻƒĻĪ½ĪæĪ»Īæ Ļ„Ļ‰Ī½ Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»Ļ‰Ī½ ĪœĪœĪ• Ļ€Ī±Ī½ĪµĪ»Ī»Ī±Ī“Ī¹ĪŗĪ®Ļ‚ ĪµĪ¼Ī²Ī­Ī»ĪµĪ¹Ī±Ļ‚), Ļ€Ī­Ļ„Ļ…Ļ‡Īµ Ī¼ĻŒĪ½Īæ Ī­Ī½Ī±Ī½ Ī±Ļ€ĻŒ Ļ„ĪæĻ…Ļ‚ Ļ„Ī­ĻƒĻƒĪµĻĪ¹Ļ‚ Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»ĪæĻ…Ļ‚ ĻƒĻ„ĻŒĻ‡ĪæĻ…Ļ‚ Ļ€ĪæĻ… ĪµĪÆĻ‡Īµ ĪøĪ­ĻƒĪµĪ¹ ĪµĪ¾'Ī±ĻĻ‡Ī®Ļ‚. ĪœĪ¹Ī»ĻŽĪ½Ļ„Ī±Ļ‚ Ī¼Īµ Ļ€ĪæĪ“ĪæĻƒĻ†Ī±Ī¹ĻĪ¹ĪŗĪæĻĻ‚ ĻŒĻĪæĻ…Ļ‚, ĪæĻ…ĻƒĪ¹Ī±ĻƒĻ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ¬ Ī­Ļ‡Ī±ĻƒĪµ Ī¼Īµ ĻƒĪŗĪæĻ 3-1.   ĪŸ Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»ĪæĻ‚ ĻƒĻ„ĻŒĻ‡ĪæĻ‚ Ļ€Īæ

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