skews13
Diamond Member
- Mar 18, 2017
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The United States has the world’s largest economy, by far, with a GDP of $19.5 trillion. Second-place China, with almost five times the population, is $12.2 trillion. Japan, Germany, India, the U.K., France, Brazil, Italy, and Canada round out the top 10. Russia? It’s 11th, with a GDP of $1.6 trillion, or one-half an Apple, Inc. Canada tops Russia, despite having roughly one-fourth the population.
Russian GDP, per capita, is $11,566, compared to $53,366 for the United States. There’s a reason that most former Soviet client states, when given a choice between Russian-style economic oligarchy and western prosperity, usually look toward the European Union and its NATO security umbrella. The ones that don’t—Russia itself, of course, but also Belarus, etc.—have to do away with democracy and fair elections to retain power. Just like the GOP’s efforts to undermine democracy, those undemocratic efforts betray their fear of their populace. If they really thought they were that popular and represented a majority, they wouldn’t fear the voters and free elections.
It’s no wonder that conservatives have embraced Putin. He is their model for unaccountable autocracy.
Russia’s economy was already weak. Cutting off exports to the West, able to pay top-dollar for energy supplies, will compound the economic pain. Putin has bragged that the country has stockpiled financial resources to stave off any consequences, and who knows, maybe he’s right. But if Europe and the United States stay strong and committed to starving the Russian bear, any such reserves will eventually be used up.
And then the oligarchs will have to decide if their economic ruin overcomes their fear of Putin and they must do something about this disastrous war of choice. If they don’t, the Russian people may do it for them. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Hopefully, the Russian people do something before Trump, and Republicans give him to much classified information, on US troop movements.
Russian GDP, per capita, is $11,566, compared to $53,366 for the United States. There’s a reason that most former Soviet client states, when given a choice between Russian-style economic oligarchy and western prosperity, usually look toward the European Union and its NATO security umbrella. The ones that don’t—Russia itself, of course, but also Belarus, etc.—have to do away with democracy and fair elections to retain power. Just like the GOP’s efforts to undermine democracy, those undemocratic efforts betray their fear of their populace. If they really thought they were that popular and represented a majority, they wouldn’t fear the voters and free elections.
It’s no wonder that conservatives have embraced Putin. He is their model for unaccountable autocracy.
Russia’s economy was already weak. Cutting off exports to the West, able to pay top-dollar for energy supplies, will compound the economic pain. Putin has bragged that the country has stockpiled financial resources to stave off any consequences, and who knows, maybe he’s right. But if Europe and the United States stay strong and committed to starving the Russian bear, any such reserves will eventually be used up.
And then the oligarchs will have to decide if their economic ruin overcomes their fear of Putin and they must do something about this disastrous war of choice. If they don’t, the Russian people may do it for them. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Russia's economy can't handle a war, and Putin can't handle the Russian economy
Alexey Navalny is Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s biggest enemy—a survivor of an assassination attempt and currently imprisoned on trumped-up charges. Somehow, he’s still got access to Twitter, and while this entire thread is great, this tweet...
www.dailykos.com
Hopefully, the Russian people do something before Trump, and Republicans give him to much classified information, on US troop movements.
