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25 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 21h \ on: Moscow Is Basically the Capitol from The Hunger Games econ
Gonna play devils advocate here so humor me.
Its a city. This is true of cities across the globe right? Even in relatively free-market states like the USA or the UK.
Sounds terrible... also sounds like the USA. State and local taxes are a fraction of the Federal ones here for most people. The Feds use the distribution of funds back to states and localities as a control mechanism and have for decades.
I have no dog in this hunt. I enjoy reading the perspectives of people with actual experiences. I have heard that even though Russia is far from perfect and has serious issues it has massively improved since the fall of the USSR and the disastrous attempt to introduce free market capitalism. I'm not a Putin fan but I have heard Russian intellectuals say that Putin in the minds of Russians is a hero for leading them out of the disaster of the collapse of communism and capitalism. Even though he is a strong man / dictator his is a "great man" in many Russian's eyes for the results he is seen as being responsible for.
That sounds plausible. It can get worse and all of the things you describe sound plausible and worse than a truly free society. It also sounds similar to the US and many states across the globe. It doesn't sound like anything to emulate at all.
all fair points, it's just the general degrees to which things happen and that the regional governors are puppets, basically.
as for improvements, life in Moscow and other top-tier cities is, more or less, fine but Russia's recent golden age was probably about 2005 - 2015 on the back of high oil prices, free internet, much more freedom of speech etc
i personally think that whatever is good now, could have just been much better if Putin has fucked off after his second term, there is no need for a dictator, and the economy is just worse than it would have been if he hadn't started the war
a lot of russia's success, sanction dodging and its successful companies like yandex aren't down to the government or putin being smart, they're down to people and businesses finding ways to adapt in the face of crazy challenges and stupid government
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