The permanent failures of Russian capitalism

[dArKeR]

Poverty and corporate corruption show that the market economy is not working in this former communist state, and the world must help

By Will Hutton
THE GUARDIAN , MOSCOW
Monday, May 24, 2004,Page 9

AT first glance it is remarkable. Moscow has the same wide streets, exhilarating Metro and extraordinary Stalinist gothic architecture mingling with bulbous church cupolas that it had under communism. But now it is unmistakably capitalist. Luxury-car showrooms and ads for extravagant perfumes jostle for attention; rush-hour traffic jams could be in New York or Los Angeles.

This is a city of 10 million people where unemployment is negligible, property prices are ballooning, clubs are booked out and problems of the transition to capitalism seem to be receding. Moscow is leading; Russia must soon follow.

Yet scratch the surface and you start to see how deep and perhaps unmendable are the wounds from communism.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/05/24/2003156786

[leftyandproud]

1. shouldn't it be?

the permanent failures of russian communism?

*DUCK*

[Heyo]

2. Yeah communism and the soviet system did a number on Russia for sure....

It will take a while for capitalism and freedom to stabilize, but they have natural resources and a decent infastructure.. they are hard working and resourceful people. They will do okay in the long run.

Heyo

[German-Lefty]

3. The have a few oligarchs running everything. What changed?

Capitalism works when people with power feel their share of power will be reduced if they screw up or miss an opportunity.

This isn't the case when a bunch of monopolies owned by oligarchs in Russia know they can each sit on their little empires and have not risk of loosing them as long as they don't piss off Putin.

Hell it's about the same as under communism. Only that worked some of the time because the government felt more responsibility to take care of the people.