Posted on 02/28/2008 3:56:21 AM PST by RusIvan
It is not the most obvious home for the savings of the West. A country that routinely sends bombers hurtling towards our air space, that refuses to extradite a suspected murderer, that harasses British officials with trumped-up accusations, that challenges the West on countless foreign policy issues. Oh yes, and one that defaulted on its own debts less than ten years ago.
Yet last year Russia was by far the most successful nation in greater Europe in raising new equity investment. Companies there gathered in $29 billion through flotations last year, making the country the biggest recipient of new share capital. Britain ($22 billion), Germany ($11 billion), Italy ($6 billion) and France ($5 billion) trailed well behind, according to an analysis by PBN, the consultants.
There are no firm figures on how much of this massive capital injection is non-Russian money, but it seems likely to be the vast majority, given how many of these capital-raisings were done out of the international centre of London rather than in Moscow. Only the flood of sovereign fund capital being injected into the West's investment banks can match it.
Mainstream institutional investors from the West are embracing the Russian Bear as never before. Gone are the days - for now, anyway - when arms had to be twisted and favours called in to get Russian floats away.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...
ping
russians, like any people should be free, and prosper. (o.k. under putin prosper). ;)
Read the second comment on the original article by the Israeli who moved back to Moscow. Insightful.
So who do you want as the next president of the US? Which of our political candidates gives the best hedge for continued prosperity?
Well, I think there are two considerations here. One is the advisability of investing your money in Russia. IMHO, anyone who does so is stupid. It’s like throwing your money away. They will confiscate it any time they fell like it.
The other is whether we can trust Russia as an ally in the War against Terror.
Regretably, no. Russia should be a natural ally, but Putin and his Russian KGB Mafia have decided they would prefer to try to rebuilt the empire. With Russian demographics the way they are, as Marc Steyn points out, this is ultimately a suicidal course for Russia to take. They won’t have enough Russians to control Russia, let alone colonial possessions like Georgia or the Baltic states or Poland. Greed and nostalgia for the days of Stalin are closing their eyes to the realities.
If they go on like this, the Chinese will move into Siberia, and the Muslims will move into southern Russia, to fill the demographic vacuum. That is not in our interest, and it’s certainly not in Russia’s interest, but Putin seems blindly determined to take that path regardless.
What will happen when the Chinese and the Muslims inherit Russia’s nuclear arsenal? As it is, the Russian army is on the verge of becoming majority Muslim, if I have heard correctly. Not a comfortable situation.
Personally I never bought into the Russian “Revolution” of about 1989. It would have been bloodless except 3 confused troops got shot in firefights “defending the faithless”.
Russia was in envy of US foreign aid going to everyone BUT THEM. Soon thereafter Harvard was giving Russia fistfulls of CASH.
Old Grard of Russia is BACK! Even Liberal US media is saying free speech is suppressed lately in Russia.
If nitwit foreign aid stops..Russia will have to select an oppositionist/poser and let him/her OPPOSE the Krimilin!
Polusi already has HUGE tax ideas. Small business will get taxed for grossing $200,000 (read as PENALIZED). Hiring/hospitalization/raises will dry up as taxes eat businesses ALIVE!
I’m not crazy for McCain...but he is the best hedge against hungry tax hikes destroying the economy.
Churchill said: “Fines are penalties on doing wrong and breaking the law. Taxes are penalties for being successful.” (paraphrased)
Wary of fast breeding Muslims, Putin promoted a “Make Out and Reproduce” Day in Russia for Native Russians.
Problem is...the Muslims observed it as well, even if unofficially!
I remember that Japan(20 years ago) and China (pretty recently) also got the same treatment. I am sure there are many sectors of economy growing well in addition to natural resource sector.
The question is how Russia use this opportunity. It is a question of where you invest newly acquired money. Would it go more into political project(regaining empire stature)? What about state control of economy, which in the increase?
My worry is that (1) this new riches will be spent more according to political priorities than economic priorities, and (2) state bureaucracy would grow to feed on new found riches.
I know Russia has a economic boom and Russia's beef with Serbia has a point. However, I am not sure that Russia can resist the two main urges mentioned above. Russia had better not get carried away by the current upsurge.
Putin and his Russian KGB Mafia have decided they would prefer to try to rebuilt the empire. With Russian demographics the way they are, as Marc Steyn points out, this is ultimately a suicidal course for Russia to take. They won’t have enough Russians to control Russia, let alone colonial possessions like Georgia or the Baltic states or Poland. Greed and nostalgia for the days of Stalin are closing their eyes to the realities.==
You absolutely wrong here. Accualy it is very common mistake of many westerners.
Putin and Russia don’t want to restore no Empire. What they want is just to create the new economical superpower. So this new Russia will be so strong that any one around her will be subjugated economically not by military force. So no Russians needed to control neibors whatsoever. They (neibors) will control themselves at interests of Russia. And Russia will no need to spend her money to support or supply no one as it was in times of Empire.
For Russia it is win-win. Russia is rich very rich already. So with few more peaceful decades she will become true collosus of economy.
The military force she needs is only to defend her riches against those who may want to rob her of them. So no one including NATo may ever think to dictate Russia. Butr Russia will do whatever she likes. That is all what we need now..
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