Posted on 07/14/2002 12:30:23 PM PDT by stalin
Russia is becoming more like the USA and the USA is becoming more like Russia.
Why does Russia have a devastated economy while America's is so powerful ?
Russia has resources ; Oil , gas , strategic metals , Iron , water , a well educated and under employed workforce ; Everything it needs to have a powerful economy. Yet it doesn't.
The USA doesn't have nearly enough and any of these recourses and relies on the rest of the world to supply most of them. Yet our economy is strong.
Why ?
The big difference between the two is corruption and confidence. Very few people including Russians will invest in Russia because their capital isn't protected from the well placed thieves and conman with political connections. They aren't put in jail.
In Russia well placed corporate criminals run the show. When the Soviet Union collapsed they stole Russia's capital recourses and sent it to safer markets ( like America ) where it was assumed the it would be protected from the criminals.
Much of the unprecedented economic expansion of the 90s was fueled by foreign investment in America.
Now it appears that that confidence was misplaced. Much of the money was stolen by well placed corporate criminals just like in Russia.
Conmen , swindlers , thieves , whatever you want to call them , must be punished for any economy to continue to thrive. That punishment must be severe enough as to properly deter this type of behavior.
If these thieves are seen as having benefited in the end then our economy is doomed.
For the sake of the nation , the corporate criminals at Enron , Global Crossing , Sunbeam , MIC , Andersen , Etc must do hard time. They must have their all of their assets taken from them and given as partial compensating to their victims. The CEOs are ultimately responsible. The ones that received the most of the ill gotten gains must be punished the most.
We can't be seen as being like Russia , where well placed thieves are not punished , or we will become like Russia. Capital flight will devastate our economy and we don't have resources to fall back on like Russia does. It will be our best looking woman the will be fleeing to other countries that punish their criminals and have men that can take care of them. It will be Americans lining up at foreign embassies to escape the grinding poverty of a failed nation.
Do keep "vanity" posts to a minimum - Free Republic is primarily a place to discuss news, articles, and
editorials. Vanity posts, creations of the poster him or herself, should meet a high standard of quality before
one is even considered worthy of posting. Often a relevant current thread or general announcement,
catch-all thread is a much better choice for a brief question or comment.
This is from the posting guidelines.
Agreed. but we must be carfull. Like I said , we are becoming more like them.
This didn't happen in the light of day. It happened just as it did in Russia. The theft accured well before most people knew that it was happening. Those that knew kept their mouths shut or were silenced. The theives were well conected to the people in power so as to not be punished when discovered. They bribed the politicians to keep them from being discovered prematurely.
There are glaring similarities but they aren't exactly the same. Thankfully we aren't exactly like them yet ; just heading in that direction.
Here's the relevent guideline for vanities:
Do keep "vanity" posts to a minimum - Free Republic is primarily a place to discuss news, articles, and editorials. Vanity posts, creations of the poster him or herself, should meet a high standard of quality before one is even considered worthy of posting. Often a relevant current thread or general announcement, catch-all thread is a much better choice for a brief question or comment.
Russia wasn't an economic "powerhouse" to begin with.
They went to popper because when the USSR broke apart the businesses no longer had an umbrella to work under and cover for them.
Think about the 50 states all of a sudden becoming nations, on their own, and trying to compete in the international arena.
Yes, the nations that comprised the former USSR have many natural resources - and not enough trained people to work them satisfactorily.
If you truly beleive that this will happen then why aren't you immigrating now to beat the rush?
Russia might be a good choice for you considering the screen name.
are you saying that corruption is conservative ? I don't understand your post.
Poth parties are liberal and both sold us out.
So let me get this straight. If, tomorrow, you decide to post a "vanity" about junk food, for example, you're going to open a new user account as "Mr. Dunkin' Donut"?
Or is it that you secretly admire Stalin, murderer of 30 million innocents, and the post was a "good excuse" to show your admiration?
I mean, when "stalin" took during signup did you clap your hands and say; "Oh, goodie! I get to be 'stalin'"!!!?
I didn't read that. So a "vanity post" is one by the author ? OK ; I'll keep it to a minimum.
I haven't heard or read anyone else making this comparison so it might be difficult to find someone else to cut and paste it from. This is what I do on most sites. I like to throw handgranades to start a lively discussion.
It started off slow but it seems to be pickiing up speed.
Vanities that are not appreciated are of the one-line rant types; full-fledged articles that would have been much better as a response in an existing thread.
This post of yours is not that.
Lazamataz was a Forshund Dictator in the Trenaxlorian Galaxy, who killed no less that 300 billion sentient beings in his bloody, long rule.
I named myself after him.
*grin*
Because even he wasn't sure the American public was behind him. There was no mandate to do so, what with him squeaking by in the election the way he did. If he had tried to prosecute the former POTUS it would have looked like a coup rather than an election.
Besides he is afflicted with BushBalls. They don't seem to produce enough testosterone.
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