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> Still to this day, Russia underdelivers, given its vast resources --natural and human/intellectual. That makes it sound as if Russia and the former USSR are
by finid 12y ago
> Still to this day, Russia underdelivers, given its vast resources --natural and human/intellectual.
That makes it sound as if Russia and the former USSR are one and the same. They're not.
A better way to restate that sentence is, "The USSR under delivered, in spite of its vast resources - natural and human/intellectual."
And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why. In an atmosphere where fear and uncertainty rules, individual and group creativity suffers.
Russia is doing better in that area, though there's still a lot of room for improvement. But it is a young country. Some old habits from the former USSR still lingers, which is expected given that most of the current leadership grew up in the former USSR. It take at least one generation to shake bad habits.
- mattmcknight 12y ago"In an atmosphere where fear and uncertainty rules, individual and group creativity suffers." Some would suggest it was the lack of incentives to independently pursue success. There's little point in working hard to get ahead if it is going to be taken from you.
- zurn 12y agoPresent day Russia is very much a laissez faire capitalist society. Money and power are pretty liquid, taxes are low, and self-interest is everybody's assumed motive. Perfect system of incentives, no? (This is why the political scene is so hard to decipher, nobody in russia pays any attention to the stated aims or motives and conspiracy theories are the default mindset)
- dsq 12y agoNo independent court system, no independent media, no freedom of expression, completely corrupt police force, extreme alcoholism...these are disincentives
- aminok 12y agoWithout an effective police and judiciary, you can't be secure in your person or property, and end up paying an informal tax to organized criminal elements and corrupt police, so no, Russia is still not laissez faire.
- finid 12y agoBut wait, even with an effective police and judiciary, with the "proper" laws in place, you still can't be secure in your person or property. Think about eminent domain and how it has and can be used against those with a property that the ruling class needs to have. That might seem like a stretch, but not if you're at the receiving end.
- hluska 12y agoThis New York Times article (from 1990) will add some more perspective to your comment: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/20/business/east-germany-s-economy-far-sicker-than-expected.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/20/business/east-germany-s-ec...