Putin: Sovereign Development Is Besting the West’s ‘Neo-Colonial, Racist Golden Billion’ System

July 21, 2022 (EIRNS)—Who are the autocrats and who are the democrats now? In his day, American patriot Lyndon LaRouche frequently held up the “suggestion box” in U.S. factories, where skilled workers could (and did) pass on their ideas for improving the production process, as an example of the genius of U.S. democracy and highly productive economy, when the American System of economics reigned, not Wall Street. People were proud to contribute to the nation’s development.

On July 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a forum called “Strong Ideas for a New Time,” organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), which defines itself as a platform for Russians to submit ideas for civil projects and initiatives needed in the country, proposals for how to improve life in their regions or nationally. This year, some 90,000 proposals were submitted by 300,000 Russians from 85 entities. “This mechanism is fully consonant with the tasks of our internal development and the time when truly revolutionary transformations are gaining momentum and getting stronger,” Putin said of the ASI’s efforts.

He elaborated:

“National and global processes are underway to develop the fundamentals and principles of a harmonious, fairer and more community-focused and safe world order as an alternative to the existing world order, or the unipolar world order in which we lived....

“Only genuinely sovereign states are in a position to ensure a high growth dynamic and become a role model for others in terms of standards of living and quality of life, the protection of traditional values and high humanistic ideals, and development models where an individual is not a means, but the ultimate goal.

“Sovereignty is about freedom of national development, and thus, the development of every individual. It is about the technological, cultural, intellectual and educational solvency of a state—that is what it is. No doubt, responsible, active and nationally minded and nationally oriented civil society is the most important component of sovereignty.

“I am convinced that in order to be strong, independent and competitive, we need to improve the mechanisms for people to participate in the country’s life and to make them more open and fairer. That includes mechanisms for direct democracy and people’s involvement in addressing the critical problems facing society and the public.”

Putin nailed the opposing

“model of total domination by the so-called golden billion.... Why should this golden billion, which is only part of the global population, dominate everyone else and enforce its rules of conduct that are based on the illusion of exceptionalism? It divides the world into first- and second-class people and is therefore essentially racist and neo-colonial. The underlying globalist and pseudo-liberal ideology is becoming increasingly more like totalitarianism and is restraining creative endeavor and free historical creation.”

He cited the British Empire’s looting of India as exemplary of how “the golden billion attained its gold ... mainly got to where it is by robbing other peoples in Asia and Africa. That is how it was. India was robbed for an extensive period of time. This is why the elite of the golden billion are terrified of other global development centers potentially coming up with their own development alternatives.”