The decline of Russia – don’t blame capitalism (?!) A pundit says that a) things in Russia aren’t so bad and b) where they are bad it isn’t due to the sudden introduction of capitalism in the 1990s – it’s because it wasn’t introduced fast and thoroughly enough. The political axe he is grinding becomes clear early on when he says,
“The obvious solution that emerged [to the difficulty of collecting taxes] was a low, flat tax rate. As of this year, Russia introduced a flat income tax of only 13 percent (a rate that the United States and Western Europe could only dream about).”
One man’s dream is another’s nightmare… Similarly this statement:
“Privatization and market pricing have revived much of the country’s infrastructure. Free-market competition has fostered an incredible expansion in the telecommunications industry. Airports and airlines have likewise improved. Road construction is up. New ports have been built around St. Petersburg. Whereas ruins once blighted the landscape of even the Soviet capital, modern-day Russia has initiated a widespread building boom.”
… reminds one of the “see no evil” attitude of communist sympathisers visiting Stalinist Russia in the 1930s (only in reverse).
Still it is interesting to see things from a different perspective (and I haven’t been to Russia so my own unwillingness to believe this man may be because of my own prejudices).amazon card problem creditunion credit federal aacredit card movie acceptcredit small accept cards businessand older cards 16 creditcredit phone visa accept accept card$600 2007 credit tax$5000 loan no check with credit Map
