I find arguments dooming modern Russia because of its "oil curse"/"dutch disease" somewhat unconvincing/one sided. The immediate alternative is extreme, widespread poverty (that would be worse than in the early 1990ies, as much of manufacturing is gone for good). Poverty dumbs humans down: articles.washingtonpost/2013-08-29/national/41584468_1_latest-study-cane-iq There are also some rather important externalities currently enjoyed by Russian population due to oil-strong rouble, such as ability to buy cheap Internet and travel abroad, as well as luxury of delayed entry into workforce of college kids. These all facilitate positive social changes. The real tragedies of modern Russia are historical, cultural/moral, ethnic, and demographic.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:04:06 +0000
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