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To: goldstategop

If it’s real this is on the Russian people


2 posted on 09/15/2014 5:15:40 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET
If it’s real this is on the Russian people

Well of course it is, to some extent. Many Russians think that toppling or limiting the power of the pro-Western government in Ukraine is in their national security interests -- and I'm not sure they're wrong (which isn't to say that invading another country, unprovoked, is morally justified -- just saying that they may be acting in their self interest).

The bigger problem is that Russia's economy is now almost entirely dependent on oil and gas revenues. That gives lots of money to central planners to pay for make-work jobs and generous social programs, but allows for very few productive jobs for Russian citizens. Putin has done nothing to diversify the economy, which means that Russia is in deep s**t if oil prices fall or his production falls faster than the price rises. It's a house of cards -- Russian incomes are up at the moment and their army is on the march so of course they're happy with their government. But that could change on a dime.

3 posted on 09/15/2014 6:21:42 AM PDT by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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