The Emptying of Russia

[LowDown]

Russia is dying. The once-mighty Russian state is undergoing a catastrophic post-Soviet societal decline. Health standards are abysmal, and life expectancy in Russia is nothing like it is in the West — just age 60 for men (less than in Botswana and Madagascar) and 73 for women, roughly the same as in Saudi Arabia. Alcoholism — the scourge of Soviet society — continues to ravage the country, with a death rate among Russia’s youth that is 35 times higher than among their counterparts in Europe. So does drug addiction. According to United Nations statistics, more than a fifth of all heroin consumed globally every year occurs in Russia. Prevalent, too, is a corrosive culture of abortion, with unofficial estimates placing the number of annual abortions at 2 million to 2.5 million — close to 2 percent of the Russian Federation’s potential population.

In all, the country is contracting by close to half-a-million souls every year owing to both death and the emigration of its citizens (to Europe and beyond). At this rate, according to the Kremlin’s own estimates, Russia could lose a quarter of its population by the middle of this century. It’s a phenomenon that demographers have described as “the emptying of Russia” — a wholesale implosion of Russia’s human capital, and a collapse of its prospects as a viable modern state.

Lots of drugs, alcohol, socialized medicine, and abortion. A veritable paradise by progressive standards. And it turns out to be death by slow suicide.

In reading this article it occurs to me that there is a way to deal with the population decline, drug addiction, and alcoholism in one fell swoop, and that's to convert the entire population to Islam. Russia is mostly Christian now, but it doesn't seem to be doing them much good.eace

 

[Risky Thicket]

Lots of drugs, alcohol, socialized medicine, and abortion. A veritable paradise by progressive standards. And it turns out to be death by slow suicide.

In reading this article it occurs to me that there is a way to deal with the population decline, drug addiction, and alcoholism in one fell swoop, and that's to convert the entire population to Islam. Russia is mostly Christian now, but it doesn't seem to be doing them much good.eace

Well you left out Jews, Gays and Mexicans. Other than that, you seem to have managed to denigrate everybody who isn't just like you. Nice hate post otherwise.

 

[KevinKohler]

Wow. So Russia sucks because of booze, drugs, and legal abortions. Can't think of any other reasons why Russia might suck?



Not too bright, eh?

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Well you left out Jews, Gays and Mexicans. Other than that, you seem to have managed to denigrate everybody who isn't just like you. Nice hate post otherwise.

WOW, didn't take long to play the race card.:lol:

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

WOW, didn't take long to play the race card.:lol:

It was done in the first post

 

[thinkforyoursel]

If You Think Wealth Disparity Is Bad Here, Look At Russia : Parallels : NPR



You've seen the headlines:

Top 1 percent took record share of 2012 U.S. income

How income inequality hurts America

Gatsby Stays on Farm as Income Gap Limits Social Mobility

But while income inequality in this country may be growing, the U.S. has nothing on Russia, according to a new report by investment bank Credit Suisse.

Russia, the bank says, has the highest rate of inequality in the world – barring some small Caribbean islands.

Just how bad is it? Thirty-five percent of household wealth in the country is in the hands of 110 people (Yes, that's right — 110.).

There's more: There's one Russian billionaire for every $11 billion in household wealth in the country. Worldwide, that number is one for every $170 billion in household wealth.

What's more troubling, the report says, is that when exchange rates are factored in, the average wealth of Russians has been falling since 2007, or just before the global economic crisis began.

All but one of the 26 Russian billionaires named in 2005 remained on the list in 2010 – a higher survival rate, the report said, than most other economies.

"The number of Russian billionaires more than doubled from 2005 to 2010, so the high survival rate likely reflects low downward structural mobility in the upper wealth tail, as well as higher than average wealth among world billionaires and – quite possibly – state protection of billionaire interests leading to lower exchange mobility at the top end than seen in other countries," the report said.

Here's more from the report:



"At the time of transition there were hopes that Russia would convert to a high skilled, high income economy with strong social protection programs inherited from Soviet Union days. This is almost a parody of what happened in practice. Efforts were made at the outset to distribute state assets equitably: most of the housing stock was given away to residents and shares in Gazprom were allocated to Russian citizens. But other choice assets in resource-rich companies went to the chosen few, and subsequent developments in a nation notorious for weak institutions have reinforced the importance of political connections rather than entrepreneurial talent."

How Does The U.S. Compare?

The U.S. has recovered from the global financial crisis, the report says.

Americans account for 42 percent of the world's billionaires. Looking five years ahead, the report forecasts that the U.S. still will have the highest aggregate wealth globally in 2018, with total net worth approaching $100 trillion.

Credit Suisse did not directly address wealth inequality in the U.S., but recent data from the Internal Revenue Service showed that the gap between the richest 1 percent and the rest of the population is the widest since the 1920s.

The Associated Press noted that the wealthiest Americans earned more than 19 percent of all household income last year. The AP reports:



"Economists point to several reasons for widening income inequality. In some industries, U.S. workers now compete with low-wage labor in China and other developing countries. Clerical and call-center jobs have been outsourced to countries such as India and the Philippines.

"Increasingly, technology is replacing workers in performing routine tasks. And union power has dwindled. ... The changes have reduced costs for many employers. That is one reason corporate profits hit a record this year as a share of U.S. economic output, even though economic growth is sluggish and unemployment remains at a high 7.2 percent."




I think we can safely say ...the demise of Russia isn't because of the GAYS!!:

 

[Heebie Jeebie]

It was done in the first post

What race card was played? The 2, the 10, the King?

 

[LowDown]

Well you left out Jews, Gays and Mexicans. Other than that, you seem to have managed to denigrate everybody who isn't just like you. Nice hate post otherwise.

I took a dig at Christianity and implied praise for Islam, so you should just love that post.

You are the one who brought up race. There's nothing about race in the original post. It is dishonest to imply that there was. Just a hateful response all around on your part, and you completely missed the point.

I only point out the ongoing irony of the USSR's legacy and the New Soviet Man, who turns out to be a corrupt drunk. I'm not in favor of restricting drugs, abortion, or alcohol. But what do these things represent in Russia other than the lack of any desire to live or to raise children in such a sorry situation?

It's the end stage of a socialist utopia, a cautionary tale, a spiritually bankrupted people. And the result is death and decay.

 

[LowDown]

Wow. So Russia sucks because of booze, drugs, and legal abortions. Can't think of any other reasons why Russia might suck?



Not too bright, eh?

Sorry, but my post went right over your head.

 

[Jredbaron96]

Russia's a ****hole.

 

[Cyrylek]

Lots of drugs, alcohol, socialized medicine, and abortion. A veritable paradise by progressive standards. And it turns out to be death by slow suicide.

In reading this article it occurs to me that there is a way to deal with the population decline, drug addiction, and alcoholism in one fell swoop, and that's to convert the entire population to Islam. Russia is mostly Christian now, but it doesn't seem to be doing them much good.eace

I am a (mostly) Pole who grew up over there, in Russia. Let's just say, such beginnings do not usually lead to verdant blooming of sympathy toward the place and the people. If I had to name one instance where I come close to bigotry, that would be it.

But come on. Russians had suffered the very worst of what the very worst century in human history had to offer. Virtually every family had lost someone (usually more than one) to the Communist terror and then again - someone else to the War. Most productive classes had been exterminated or pushed into exile; the rest of the people had been trained for three generations, like Pavlovian dogs, to fear everything we consider good and normal, and to embrace obvious lies and pathological violence, as a condition of survival.

The wounds are deep, festering, and may never, ever heal. It is a great wonder and testimony of Russians' incredible resilience that the country is doing as well as it does, instead of turning into a cold, pale version of Congo.

"Drugs, alcohol, socialized medicine, and abortion"? Gimme a break.

 

[LowDown]

I am a (mostly) Pole who grew up over there, in Russia. Let's just say, such beginnings do not usually lead to verdant blooming of sympathy toward the place and the people. If I had to name one instance where I come close to bigotry, that would be it.

But come on. Russians had suffered the very worst of what the very worst century in human history had to offer. Virtually every family had lost someone (usually more than one) to the Communist terror and then again - someone else to the War. Most productive classes had been exterminated or pushed into exile; the rest of the people had been trained for three generations, like Pavlovian dogs, to fear everything we consider good and normal, and to embrace obvious lies and pathological violence, as a condition of survival.

The wounds are deep, festering, and may never, ever heal. It is a great wonder and testimony of Russians' incredible resilience that the country is doing as well as it does, instead of turning into a cold, pale version of Congo.

"Drugs, alcohol, socialized medicine, and abortion"? Gimme a break.

You make my point for me again. The point being that it was a Communist government they suffered under, and they are living with the results of that.

In Russia lots of alcohol and drug use and a high abortion rate are markers of misery and unhappiness. Pardon me if I mock American progressives who want those things. It foreshadows the misery they will bring us all if they gain power. Yes, we will need the alcohol and drugs and we will have no wish to bring children into the world if they gain power.