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Russia's GDP fell by 42% in just 3 years from 2013 to 2016. It would appear that this kind of economic instability can lead to political instability.
Does Vladimir Putin's expansionist ambitions stem from the fact that he believes that annexing former Soviet bloc countries will return Russia to its former glory?
Don't bring such nonsense to this thread. It serves no purpose.
Those of us who know about the subject will tear it to pieces.
Why was the Russian economy never able to launch again after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Will Russia's GDP be able to improve again?
American bankers and IMF made sure of it. They did not want a potential competitor in Russia, so they made everything possible to turn it into the third world country.
That's the source of today's problem including.
American bankers and IMF made sure of it. They did not want a potential competitor in Russia, so they made everything possible to turn it into the third world country.
That's the source of today's problem including.
( How convenient that the old thread is still there - it's a pleasure to refer those with questions to it.)
Here is a bit more light shedding, on why Russia, ( in spite of having "poor economy" and low GDP, PPP and whatever) still has clout and is capable to pull out all kind of things;
"According to our benchmark
estimates, offshore wealth is about three times larger than official net foreign
reserves (about 85% of national income vs. around 25%), and is comparable in
magnitude to total onshore household financial assets. That is, there is as much
financial wealth held by rich Russians abroad—in the United Kingdom, Switzerland,
Cyprus, and similar offshore centers—than held by the entire Russian population in
Russia itself."
"So what about Russia? Add up its two-plus decades of fat export surpluses and it should have socked away investments abroad equal to about 230% of national income—and that’s not including the return earned on the gains on those investments, which should have yielded a heck of a lot more.
Most of that wealth, however, doesn’t turn up in Russia’s official ledgers. As of 2015, its official net foreign assets—the value of what a country owns overseas, minus the value of domestic assets owned by foreigners—totaled a mere 26% of national income, according to the economists’ calculations.
Simple math implies that a share of those accumulated surpluses worth more than 200% of Russia’s current national income has disappeared. Considering the steady annual returns that would likely have been earned on those investment, the economists put the total missing foreign wealth on the order 300% of Russia’s current national income, or more.
What happened to all this money?
Missing billions
The economists argue that much of the missing money was likely whisked out of the country through offshore transactions out of official statistical view. The rapid “privatization” that followed the fall of the Soviet Union set this in motion. "
This was never a consideration.
In fact A GREAT DEAL of Russians don't want any "return of Soviet territories," because the opinion among them is persistent that during Soviet times Russia was subsidizing most of them, Ukraine including.
The debate is never-ending on this one, so no plans of "annexing former Soviet blocks countries" whatever that means.
It is often repeated in the U.S. media that Putin laments the fall of the Soviet Union and called its breakup "the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."
This is the root of much of the concern in the west.
It is often repeated in the U.S. media that Putin laments the fall of the Soviet Union and called its breakup "the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."
This is the root of much of the concern in the west.
It is often repeated in the U.S. media that Putin laments the fall of the Soviet Union and called its breakup "the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."
This is the root of much of the concern in the west.
To be honest, I am never sure about the true motives behind "Putin's laments."
I perceive a great deal of his laments of this kind as an attempt to appease Russian population, that was still reeling from the disaster that followed the fall of the Soviet Union and Yeltsin's government, that was all about denouncing the Soviet past as something totally negative, when the country was sinking deeper and deeper in chaos and corruption. (Not to mention the abject poverty and suffering of general population.)
So Putin clearly wanted to disassociate himself from all those disasters and to score some points with Russians that were proud of their past no matter what ( left wingers including.) And hence - these kind of public statements.
But Putin is NO LEFT WINGER/COMMUNIST ( whatever you want to call it) in a slightest.
He always belonged to the class of former Soviet functionaries that greatly benefited from the fall of the Soviet Union, and he, I am sure wouldn't want to "share Russian resources" Soviet way with anyone that wouldn't promise profits in return.
So when the Left started gaining popularity in Russia lately, pointing at the achievements of the Soviet Union ( vs today's government,) Putin, along with these "greatest tragedy" speeches, started using phrases like "Soviet Union didn't produce anything but old galoshes."
Russians hear that, but the West does not of course.
As for the "concern in the West" - I don't believe that it has anything to do with the possibility of the reincarnation of the Soviet Union.
This is a concern of RUSSIA's growing abilities ( which were perceived as greatly diminished for some time, ) and concern that the plans that America had for Russia back in the 90ies didn't quite work out.
So all this "Soviet threat" is nothing but artificially induced hysteria, because people in Western governments are well-aware that current Russian government is all about money and off-shore accounts, not about "communist ideology" in a slightest.
But how will you acknowledge publicly that you hate certain country (no matter what political system,) unless you'll start creating a boogie man out of it?
And THIS interestingly enough is coming specifically from American left.
Grega, all this whining about "25 million Russians left abroad" is just a lip service, as a lot of other Putin's speeches.
What prevented Russian government ( yes, Putin's government in particular) to create comprehensive programs of repatriation of Russians to their homeland?
What, Russia has too many people? Not enough of space for them?
Obviously not, in fact it's the other way around - Russia is hurting in demographic sense of it.
But creating such programs would mean investing money in it, money that were directed in foreign banks and off-shore accounts instead.
So there you have it.
As for the rest - of course the fall of the Soviet Union was the greatest tragedy of the 20iest century.
Not the fall of the Soviet ideology itself, but the dissipation of the country. And it didn't affect just Russians - look at the misery of the Central Asians - Tadjics and Uzbeks in particular.
Is Ukraine fairing much better? Is Belorussia? Moldavia? I'll leave those "lucky Baltic countries" alone at this point - this is up to debate.
Grega, all this whining about "25 million Russians left abroad" is just a lip service, as a lot of other Putin's speeches.
What prevented Russian government ( yes, Putin's government in particular) to create comprehensive programs of repatriation of Russians to their homeland?
What, Russia has too many people? Not enough of space for them?
Obviously not, in fact it's the other way around - Russia is hurting in demographic sense of it.
But creating such programs would mean investing money in it, money that were directed in foreign banks and off-shore accounts instead.
So there you have it.
As for the rest - of course the fall of the Soviet Union was the greatest tragedy of the 20iest century.
Not the fall of the Soviet ideology itself, but the dissipation of the country. And it didn't affect just Russians - look at the misery of the Central Asians - Tadjics and Uzbeks in particular.
Is Ukraine fairing much better? Is Belorussia? Moldavia? I'll leave those "lucky Baltic countries" alone at this point - this is up to debate.
There's less incentive when remittances are 5 to 10 percent of gross domestic product.
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