No Future for Russian Power?

[tokenadult]

<p>An interesting opinion piece from a British newspaper: </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/23/wrussia223.xml[/url]”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/23/wrussia223.xml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[AnudduhMom]

<p>Interesting, but I must admit to enjoying this link on the page a bit more:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml;jsessionid=FFVZ0YFQF4LIPQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/portal/2007/08/24/nosplit/ft-silver-124.xml&DCMP=ILC-traffdrv07053100[/url]”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml;jsessionid=FFVZ0YFQF4LIPQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/portal/2007/08/24/nosplit/ft-silver-124.xml&DCMP=ILC-traffdrv07053100&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Especially the last paragraph!</p>

[razorsharp]

<p>The real question is why is Putin actling like such a jackass. I suspect it is because of his ego. He longs for the good old days when Russia was a power that could do things to annoy the west and get away with it. He longs for the time when Russia controlled what are now independent states. Putin has destroyed the free press in Russia. He has destroyed the rule of law by stealing from businesses. The only reason he can get away with it is because Russia is wealthy in terms of resources.</p>

<p>I would not write off Russia so quickly. The falling population can be fixed easily. Russia has a flat income tax which is vastly superior to the US tax approach of penalizing those who work the harest. Russia has no debt. Russia has almost unlimited resources to power its economy.</p>

[conyat]

<p>

The falling population can be fixed easily. Russia has a flat income tax which is vastly superior to the US tax approach of penalizing those who work the harest.

</p>

<p>I think you and I must have very different ideas about what constitutes hard work.</p>

[tega]

<p>I don’t think people will be lining up to move to Russia due to flat tax rate. You can do better by moving to Dubai, Bahamas,Monaco etc., countries with 0% tax and much safer than Russia. These countries are also more accepting of immigrants than Russia.</p>

[razorsharp]

<p>

I don’t think people will be lining up to move to Russia due to flat tax rate.

I agree. The flat tax will not lead to more immigration, it will lead to continuing economic growth by leaving money in the hands of the best, brightest and hardest working Russians (and there are plenty of them). The population decline can be fixed easily – it’s called a sex drive. All they have to do is ban abortion and a large part of the problem would be solved.</p>

[conyat]

<p>The abortion rate in Russia has gone way, way down, thanks to improved access to contraception. </p>

<p>So in order to force Russian women to bear children against their will you’re going to have to ban birth control too.</p>

[razorsharp]

<p>Here is one way to increase the population:</p>

<p>

Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp’s mass wedding. “They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia”. </p>

<p>Obediently, couples move to a special section of dormitory tents arranged in a heart-shape and called the Love Oasis, where they can start procreating for the motherland. </p>

<p>With its relentlessly upbeat tone, bizarre ideas and tight control, it sounds like a weird indoctrination session for a phoney religious cult. </p>

<p>But this organisation - known as “Nashi”, meaning “Ours” - is youth movement run by Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin that has become a central part of Russian political life.

<a href=“Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp | Daily Mail Online”>Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp | Daily Mail Online;

<p>I suspect there might be a lot of men who would be willing to move to Russia to take part in the national movement.</p>

[tega]

<p>This is really scary!</p>

[tokenadult]

<p>I think the high rates of alcoholism and suicide have to be taken into account.</p>

[conyat]

<p>According to that article, Russia is pushing the idea that Stalin did more good than bad. Scary.</p>

<p>Also, at the event the article describes, the “mass weddings” married only 70 of the participants. The thousands of other unmarried people there were being pressured to have unprotected sex for the good of the Motherland.</p>

<p>I have to wonder what kind of provisions Russia has in place for the support of the children born to unwed mothers? Do fathers, if they can be located, have to pay child support or does the woman absorb the entire burden?</p>

[Spetsnaz_Op]

<p>

He longs for the good old days when Russia was a power that could do things to annoy the west and get away with it.

</p>

<p>those days are back again…he can essentially do whatever he wants and he wants the world to know it</p>

<p>oh and good luck moving to dubai…nearly impossible to move there or get a business permit</p>

[tega]

<p>Putin can’t do what he wants. The Russian economy highly depends on the prices of natural resources, any downward turn in prices will significantly affect the economy. Prices are high now, so things seem to be moving smoothly in Russia. </p>

<p>Dubai wants to be a major player in international finance, as a result, they have set up different agencies to facilitate foreign nationals who want to set up business there. You can read more about it here: <a href=“http://www.economy.ae:80/min/index.jsp?lang=en[/url]”>http://www.economy.ae:80/min/index.jsp?lang=en&lt;/a&gt;. Also, search Dubai internet city, business city etc.</p>

<p>It is not impossible to move to Dubai if you have money. They want to attract wealthy citizens.</p>