Who is the sick man - or the sick woman - of Europe now?

[Rumpel]

Who is the sick man - or the sick woman - of Europe now?

There may be more than just one.

 

[Rumpel]

Nearly everybody on the list - except Spain.

 

[TheParser]

Russia is definitely "sick" in every sense of the word.

When communism fell, many people felt that finally Russia would have another chance at democracy.

Wrong.

Very soon a few people took over all the industries and became obscenely rich.

And then a very sick individual was "elected" president.

How tragic for the Russian people.

 

[Rumpel]

Russia is definitely "sick" in every sense of the word.

And then a very sick individual was "elected" president.

How tragic for the Russian people.

I agree

 

[Jessie C]

NO European country poses a greater threat to the free world than Russia. Yes, there may be corruption in other countries, but last I heard, other countries are not invading each other. Nothing compares to Russia.

So, answering the thread question, that would be Putin.

 

[Rumpel]

NO European country poses a greater threat to the free world than Russia. Yes, there may be corruption in other countries, but last I heard, other countries are not invading each other. Nothing compares to Russia.

So, answering the thread question, that would be Putin.

So it is!

 

[Phys251]

Who is the sick man - or the sick woman - of Europe now?

There may be more than just one.

Russia, followed by Hungary and Turkey.

 

[Rumpel]

Russia, followed by Hungary and Turkey.

Turkey may have a small part this side of the Bosporus, but that does not make it really part of Europe.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Russia is not Europe, even if they share a continent.
The whole reason NATO was formed was to stop Russian encroachment INTO Europe for the express purpose of erasing Europe, something which they already attempted to do in the Twentieth century.
Europe is mostly made up of democratic countries, and while it is possible to question the stability of some of the fledgling democracies, democracy is one of the many things Russia does NOT believe in at all.
So call Russia "the sick man" all you like however it is a mistake to say it is in Europe. By the same token one would have to argue that China is in Europe.

 

[Rumpel]

By the same token one would have to argue that China is in Europe.

No. I dis-agree.

European Russia (Russian: Европейская Россия, европейская часть России) is the western and most populated part of Russia. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part, which is situated in Asia, encompassing the entire northern region of the continent. The Ural Mountains divide Russia into two parts, bisecting the Eurasian supercontinent. European Russia covers the vast majority of Eastern Europe, and spans roughly 40% of Europe's total landmass, with over 15% of its total population, making Russia the largest and most populous country in Europe.

European Russia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Jessie C]

Russia is not Europe, even if they share a continent.
The whole reason NATO was formed was to stop Russian encroachment INTO Europe for the express purpose of erasing Europe, something which they already attempted to do in the Twentieth century.
Europe is mostly made up of democratic countries, and while it is possible to question the stability of some of the fledgling democracies, democracy is one of the many things Russia does NOT believe in at all.
So call Russia "the sick man" all you like however it is a mistake to say it is in Europe. By the same token one would have to argue that China is in Europe.

It's attached land, but I get what you're saying.

 

[Rumpel]

What Continent Is Russia In?​

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

What Continent Is Russia In?​

You're arguing academics?
We know that, technically, they all occupy the same continent, but I am arguing politically.
Russia has never really known any other systems except royal empires and strongman authoritarianism.
Meanwhile Europe graduated from royalty to royal republics to parliamentary republics to democratic parliamentary republics.

Thus whether we argue Europe, Asia or Eurasia, nowhere in any of the eleven time zones that make up Russia is there any long term experience with parliamentary republicanism where the vote consisted of a diverse collection of differing political parties electing a representative form of even the most rudimentary democracy.

In fact, when some Eastern European nations decided to dip their toes IN democratic waters, such as Hungary in 1956, they sent tanks.
When Poland wanted to try, they sent tanks AND a military junta. The Czechs were crushed in the Prague Spring.
And Ukraine was flat out treated like Daddy's bitch several times in succession.

Politically speaking what makes up Europe is far and away the dividing line of parliamentary democratic republicanism, and what makes up Russia is century upon century of brutal strongmen, and before that, brutal czars who literally owned the land, the resources and yes, OWNED the PEOPLE themselves.

 

[Juin]

Russia is definitely "sick" in every sense of the word.
When communism fell, many people felt that finally Russia would have another chance at democracy.
Wrong.
Very soon a few people took over all the industries and became obscenely rich.

The nadir for Russia was under Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Interestingly they fair well in western books, but with Russians Yeltsin wins hands down as worst President; Gorbachev more like a villain

And then a very sick individual was "elected" president.
How tragic for the Russian people.

Putin is considered evil in the west. Not so with Russians. Putin arrested the decline, corruption, rapacity of the Yeltsin days

 

[Juin]

You're arguing academics?
We know that, technically, they all occupy the same continent, but I am arguing politically.

Europe is a geographic construct. Are you suggesting East Germany was not part of Europe? The Warsaw Pact nations were not part of Europe?

 

[Rumpel]

Europe is a geographic construct.

So it is!
One cannot exclude some country from a continent because of its political system.

 

[Rumpel]

Are you suggesting East Germany was not part of Europe? The Warsaw Pact nations were not part of Europe?

Then we can go on and say: Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy were no part of Europe.

 

[Rumpel]

The whole reason NATO was formed was to stop Russian encroachment INTO Europe

..... was to stop the Soviet Union attacking WESTERN Europe.

 

[joluoto]

Russia, there are other countries on that list that certainly has severe issues to sort out, such as Italy, UK and Serbia. But none is in the same class of a dysfunctional fallen Empire as Russia.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Russia is definitely the sick man of Europe, and perhaps the sickest man on the globe.

Only that part of Russia west of the Ural Mountains is in Europe. Russia east of the Urals is located in Asia.

 

[PeteEU]

For me there are many candidates to be the sick man of Europe, but as of 2023 only the UK really fits the narrative.

The UK economy is worse off than a sanction hit Russia... That says a lot.

 

[Rogue Valley]

The UK economy is worse off than a sanction hit Russia... That says a lot.

Citations?

Russia swings to $29 bln first-quarter budget deficit

Russia's federal budget balance sank to a deficit of 2.4 trillion roubles ($29 billion) in the first quarter of the year as Moscow spent heavily and energy revenues fell, the finance ministry said on Friday.

www.reuters.com

Russia's Economy Contracts 1.9% In First Quarter

Russia's gross domestic product shrank by 1.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, the country's statistics agency Rosstat said Wednesday.

www.barrons.com

Russia's economic stats are 'pure invention from Putin's imagination,' and its economy is actually imploding, Yale researchers say

Russia's economic growth forecasts are a figment of Putin's imagination, two Yale academics say, arguing the Kremlin is cherry-picking stats.

markets.businessinsider.com

Russia's finances are 'in the shit,' says a former Russian economy minister

He said at an industry event that while McDonald's can be replaced by blinis — or Russian pancakes — there are no substitutes for high-tech products.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Juin]

Russia is definitely the sick man of Europe, and perhaps the sickest man on the globe.

Ukraine is in very bad shape as well. As a matter of fact Ukraine is on life support. An advanced case of Russian infectation. The doctor has prescribed for Ukraine a daily dosage of F16s, Javelins, Patriots, Depleted Uranium, German Lepers, and Bandera banners for morale support. Problem is the patient needs higher dosages than are available

 

[Peter]

One think the Uk has going for it is historically low unemployment.
The economic forcasts have all been adjusted higher recently from the gloomy forcasts of just the start of the year and we haven't seen the mass layoffs that were feared.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Putin arrested the decline, corruption, rapacity of the Yeltsin days

Wiped out Grozny and Aleppo.

Flattened half of Ukraine.

Wiped out the Russian economy for the next 10 years.

Destroyed Russia's military reputation.

Expanded NATO membership in 1 year and extended NATO's border with Russia by over 1000 miles.

Yup, guy is an utter genius.