4 ms·

My perspective as a someone who was raised and lives in Russia and doesn't realy remebmer USSR and is of a target demography of news.yc: I am much less impress

My perspective as a someone who was raised and lives in Russia and doesn't realy remebmer USSR and is of a target demography of news.yc: I am much less impressed of stories where someone who had a lot of money killed or harmed rather than of stories where someone "socially unprotected" killed or harmed. Reason: That organized crime you all referring to was on the rage in early- and mid-90s. And they practically killed themself out. If you go to some cemeteries you would find a lot of expensive monuments to mobsters aged 30-40 yrs. There are much, much less organized crime now (you don't hear about it even if you know where to listen), partly because some of it legalized, partly because most of it killed itself. They just could not help it. Levels of high-profile corruption vary in Russia, but everyone would agree that real estate is the apex of it. If you got there and got killed, it's like if you gambled with borrowed money and lost it all and then got your legs broken. Happens everywhere if one is stupid enough. (rem took the debt-legs breaking concept from US popular culture). So while for someone with US/European background this story reads like the crime of the century, Russians would instead focus more on issues which can hurt ordinary people more likely (hint: list of issies which can realistically hurt you in Russia if you're an ordinary person does not include mafia, not at all).

varjag 16y ago
> Russians would instead focus more on issues which can hurt ordinary people more likely Or rather, Russian TV would focus more on ordinary folk issues, because reporting high profile crimes is a taboo. Therefor when you skim through ORT news, it's mostly hood crimes, house fires and Chechen insurgence.
- guard-of-terra 16y ago
  Rather, I would focus more on ordinary folk issues, despite not watching TV by not having one. Some other people of my demographics (not TV watchers, can read international information sources, young and educated) would have the same focus. So please, do not underestimate our own inherent bias against "high profile" and towards "ordinary people".
Confusion 16y ago
(hint: list of issies which can realistically hurt you in Russia if you're an ordinary person does not include mafia, not at all) Hint: this kind of behavior affects ordinary Russians very directly, in two ways. 1) Foreign companies are not investing in Russia because of this behavior. Billions of dollars and euros could be flowing into Russia, but aren't. Such investments would reduce unemployment significantly and a normal share of the money could reach the ordinary Russian. 2) Every ruble extorted from a rich Russian or foreigner by the mafia cannot trickle down to poor Russians. Corruption cannibalizes an economy. Poor or unemployed? The corrupt government officials and their henchmen mafia are directly to blame.
- guard-of-terra 16y ago
  It sure does affect ordinary Russians, but it's hardly a "crime of century". Real estate involved crime and corruption is old news here. Nothing particularly interesting or new. The event in question several years old. I'll try to mirror it: Let's assume we would find an article about how Russian girl came to USA, was dragged into prostitution, drugged, abused and eventually killed. This is a terrible story, but you would hardly name it "Crime of the Century". While it's basically the same thing: come to foreign country, do unsafe things, get murdered. It's sad that real estate development in Russia is corruption-ridden violent disaster, but this fact is neither very new nor very important to average Russian. Probably not even in top 10. There just are more urgent matters.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - michaelf 16y ago
    > ... this fact is neither very new nor very important to average Russian. Probably not even in top 10. There just are more urgent matters. Out of curiosity, what are some of the top issues (of governance) that are important to the average Russian?
    - guard-of-terra 16y ago

varjag 16y ago

> Russians would instead focus more on issues which can hurt ordinary people more likely Or rather, Russian TV would focus more on ordinary folk issues, because reporting high profile crimes is a taboo. Therefor when you skim through ORT news, it's mostly hood crimes, house fires and Chechen insurgence.

guard-of-terra 16y ago
Rather, I would focus more on ordinary folk issues, despite not watching TV by not having one. Some other people of my demographics (not TV watchers, can read international information sources, young and educated) would have the same focus. So please, do not underestimate our own inherent bias against "high profile" and towards "ordinary people".

Confusion 16y ago

(hint: list of issies which can realistically hurt you in Russia if you're an ordinary person does not include mafia, not at all) Hint: this kind of behavior affects ordinary Russians very directly, in two ways. 1) Foreign companies are not investing in Russia because of this behavior. Billions of dollars and euros could be flowing into Russia, but aren't. Such investments would reduce unemployment significantly and a normal share of the money could reach the ordinary Russian. 2) Every ruble extorted from a rich Russian or foreigner by the mafia cannot trickle down to poor Russians. Corruption cannibalizes an economy. Poor or unemployed? The corrupt government officials and their henchmen mafia are directly to blame.

guard-of-terra 16y ago
It sure does affect ordinary Russians, but it's hardly a "crime of century". Real estate involved crime and corruption is old news here. Nothing particularly interesting or new. The event in question several years old. I'll try to mirror it: Let's assume we would find an article about how Russian girl came to USA, was dragged into prostitution, drugged, abused and eventually killed. This is a terrible story, but you would hardly name it "Crime of the Century". While it's basically the same thing: come to foreign country, do unsafe things, get murdered. It's sad that real estate development in Russia is corruption-ridden violent disaster, but this fact is neither very new nor very important to average Russian. Probably not even in top 10. There just are more urgent matters.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- michaelf 16y ago
  > ... this fact is neither very new nor very important to average Russian. Probably not even in top 10. There just are more urgent matters. Out of curiosity, what are some of the top issues (of governance) that are important to the average Russian?
  - guard-of-terra 16y ago