Posted on 12/20/2016 12:57:02 AM PST by elhombrelibre
MOSCOW — Dozens of people in the Siberian city of Irkutsk died after drinking cheap surrogate alcohol over the weekend, evoking memories of the poverty and social depression that came after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The tragedy was a reminder that while President Vladimir V. Putin may be taking a star turn on the world stage — dominating the war in Syria and alarming European and American leaders who fear the Kremlin is undermining democracy — Russia remains in many respects a struggling country. For all his bravado, Mr. Putin continues to wrestle with domestic economic woes, widening inequality and endemic corruption.
The economy, deeply dependent on oil revenues, was thrown into recession in 2015, after a collapse in oil prices, and is just now emerging tentatively into positive territory. The ensuing collapse of the ruble and Western economic sanctions over the Kremlin’s maneuvers in Crimea and Ukraine have hit living standards hard.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ah, the Workers’ Paradise.
So absolutely Third World and they don’t even know it.
coming from the NYT, be suspicious of motive.
And before.
During the time of the USSR they would drink steno.
The Russians like to drink and they like to stay drunk.
It is a major problem there and the reason why their males die so young and their females would do almost anything to get out.
The best thing that could happen to Russia would be to develop an economy less based on oil.
Still “the sick man of Europe “.
The people in Russia are drinking antifreeze.
Not even in Venezuela or Zimbabwe do the people have to resort to downing a bottle of Prestone to get a buzz.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia there were 35 drug overdoses in the past 5 days
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4017298/Examiner-Philadelphia-35-heroin-deaths-5-days.html
Shall we compare social,decline in so- called first world countries,
The need some tremendous examples of capitalism at its most recent...American craft beer brewing mindset...and you don’t even need to hack /s into this site to get some...
Kidney failure from oxalate crystals makes the buzz permanent. There are stupid people all over the world, who think a short buzz is worth ingestion of poison. Darwin at it’s finest. That these particular poor souls are Russian makes the news.
This is what the New York Times deems newsworthy?
And they use it in their united front agenda.
It’s laughable.
I think there is nothing wrong with looking at the problems of both countries. I recall the Left always took exception to doing that with the Soviets. I’m not surprised that you feel offended by this article.
Would you have the NYT spike stories that don’t seem flattering to Putin?
The drinking body lotion story is everywhere and originated with TASS I believe. We do still use their news agencies sometimes.
You should start a thread on that story, that’s the point of the forum, to discuss stories. Are you the forum owner?
Ukraine had bad bootleg liquor, India has had a story of bad liquor in the past several years. These stories are out there.
There is no substitute.
Well..at least they didn’t become face eating bath salt zombies.
Good point. Still, I recall P.J. O’Rourke’s Cold War comment that “The Russians are a nation of drunks ruled by small clique of thugs.” Some traditions live on despite the denial of some.
It’s hard to beat capitalism, and American craft beer shows how well it can work. Remember that Benjamin Franklin wisely wrote that “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
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