Fatal Identities

Central to the identity wars tearing contemporary societies apart is affirmative action. Some observers consider this policy to be an effective re-insertion tool to checkmate discrimination against minorities. Others (including the author) regard affirmative action as an abusive measure that violates equality and individual merit with detrimental consequences. The argument for and against affirmative action is rife in the U.S., where the policy has long been implemented. As such, the country is a crucial case study of the long-term effects of the policy.

Perhaps even more appropriate for evaluation is the old Soviet Union, where the policy was tested. In complete disregard of their universalistic ideology, the Bolsheviks turned affirmative action into a controlling apparatus. The policy eventually backfired, leading to the demise of the workers’ paradise and the explosion of ethnic rivalries. The current Ukraine-Caucasus issues and the resulting hysteria are direct consequences of identity politics.

Being a direct witness of the last decades of the USSR, Vitaly Malkin unravels one of the most fundamental and overlooked episodes of this tragic history. And in doing so, he offers valuable insights into the affirmative action debate, showing how the current identity conflicts are eerily familiar.