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Russia, gold, and sausages -view from here on the Volga
northcoin
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I am currently in Russia at the moment though headed back. Interestingly 90% of Russia's gold reserves were sold off before Putin came to power. Almost none of the current and past leaders and their families as well as the wealthy businessmen are keeping their own money in Russia. There has been very little infrastructure built since the collapse of the Soviet Union and much of the present economy is based upon exported raw materials such as oil and timber much as is the case for resource rich third-world countries. It is an anomaly to see a Russian built car on the streets as there has been no effort to keep up with the quality of product coming in from the cars built in Europe.
While there is hope for the future it is difficult for us to imagine what economic turmoil the average Russian citizen has suffered in recent decades including hyper-inflation that wiped out most Russian's savings in the recent past. A maxim that I have heard is that when there was a Soviet Union there were no goods on the shelves in the stores but the people's refrigerators were full. Now there are many goods on the shelves but because of the lack of money the people's refrigerators are empty. A Russian commented this morning that she was taken aback to see an older lady in the supermarket yesterday purchasing half of a sausage because that was all she could afford.
While there is hope for the future it is difficult for us to imagine what economic turmoil the average Russian citizen has suffered in recent decades including hyper-inflation that wiped out most Russian's savings in the recent past. A maxim that I have heard is that when there was a Soviet Union there were no goods on the shelves in the stores but the people's refrigerators were full. Now there are many goods on the shelves but because of the lack of money the people's refrigerators are empty. A Russian commented this morning that she was taken aback to see an older lady in the supermarket yesterday purchasing half of a sausage because that was all she could afford.
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Interesting observations by you. Thanks
JH
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I know that life there has gotten much worse. We had larger grocery stores that are now all closed because of looters and the pro-Russian rebels that kept robbing them. All the banks have shuttered because they also were being robbed frequently. Most of the larger industries have layed off all their workers and practically anybody still working is not getting paid.
<< <i>And yet, American socialists still advocate the very policies that destroy these nations..... Interesting... Cheers, RickO >>
I'm on Social Security. Why did we make this wrong turn?
Try on this old staple: "My dogma just got run over by my karma".
Do we have a purely capitalistic system when its biggest participants are corporate syndicalists promoting a plutocratic oligarchy in which we all free to eat their scraps?
I eat pretty well. So I consider it a personal failing that I would take a position contrary to that of my own personal and tribal self-interests.
<< <i>I lived in Ukraine from 2008-2010, in Donets'k where all the fighting is going on now. Anyway I had the same observation, nobody kept any appreciable money in the country - everybody I know that have anything flew out to Geneva a few times a year for bank deposits. Larger transactions, cars, houses etc were always in euros, dollars or sometimes rubles - never Ukrainian hryven.
I know that life there has gotten much worse. We had larger grocery stores that are now all closed because of looters and the pro-Russian rebels that kept robbing them. All the banks have shuttered because they also were being robbed frequently. Most of the larger industries have layed off all their workers and practically anybody still working is not getting paid. >>
Thanks for the first hand account.
Volga Boatmen
Enjoy your stay!
<< <i>
<< <i>And yet, American socialists still advocate the very policies that destroy these nations..... Interesting... Cheers, RickO >>
I'm on Social Security. Why did we make this wrong turn?
Try on this old staple: "My dogma just got run over by my karma".
Do we have a purely capitalistic system when its biggest participants are corporate syndicalists promoting a plutocratic oligarchy in which we all free to eat their scraps?
I eat pretty well. So I consider it a personal failing that I would take a position contrary to that of my own personal and tribal self-interests. >>
Is it braver to stand up for one's owe interests or the common good? Also how much foresight does it take to realize that the common good is most offen in one's own best interests? Targeted Socialistic policies and programs do not default the country into Russia.
<< <i>Closest I got to there was a Russian mail order bride online. Then she found out I was into brown wheaties and she was gone. >>
I guess she didn't like what brown could do for her, eh?
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<< <i>Do we have a purely capitalistic system when its biggest participants are corporate syndicalists promoting a plutocratic oligarchy in which we all free to eat their scraps? >>
Of course we don't. But it is heresy to say so.
We have international slavers is all.
And.....we've destroyed the "workin man" to force him to ...try... to "make ends meet."
Now..... please pass the Grey Poupon.