General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWalleye
(31,028 posts)OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)So much hope when Gorbachev was running the show. For a moment I believed the Russians had finally rid themselves of political leg-irons. Then the Putin Crime Family took over......
cilla4progress
(24,736 posts)Gorbachev...
OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)30% are racist nationalists 70% are social democrats. In both cases, the minority is funded by the extreme capitalists.
orangecrush
(19,571 posts)CanonRay
(14,104 posts)Tommy Carcetti
(43,182 posts)
some sort of democracy might have evolved. Unfortunately it seemed doomed for failure in the shadow of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.
I would want to say there was a chance in the early 90s, but the oligarchs were already divvying up the kleptocracy pretty early on. And Yeltsins showdown with his legislature in 93 signaled political instability to come, a situation Putin no doubt was ready to pounce on when the time was right.
cilla4progress
(24,736 posts)Yeltsin!
Going to have to go back and review this history!
Tommy Carcetti
(43,182 posts)but as a leader was too volatile, corruptible and, well, drunk to lead Russia to the Promised Land.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)Sad there wasn't a younger Gorbachev waiting to carry the essential ideas forward. Of course, we had a Republican actor in office that reacted for the kudo's he received in defeating the "Evil Empire" than giving Gorbachev the real political and financial support to allow Russia to evolve in a more democratic way.
Bucky
(54,020 posts)Last edited Tue Feb 22, 2022, 06:18 PM - Edit history (1)
Of course his more open political leadership led to further fracturing of central authority & a degradation of their political clout.
Of course a Russia with the size it is, with the diverse composition that it has, surrounded by the neighbors as it is, you really can't have a liberal tolerant society. It wants to fall apart. Russia needs a strong man.
cilla4progress
(24,736 posts)Always wondered why they have always struggled it seems with their governements.
Tyrants, dictators, autocrats, Kings.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)Tough life, as it always has been, for the the typical Russian. It's economic output is less than California's. Putin can have a show of force in his backyard, but that really doesn't project power. If it turns bloody, it's on Putin. And then, watch how we take down the Russian Oligarch's ability to use their ill-gotten riches.
cilla4progress
(24,736 posts)I hope you are right!
Bucky
(54,020 posts)You're on-point about population density, of course.
However this particular conflict is happening in a place where Russia and its neighbors have a typical population density compared to the rest of eastern Europe
Hekate
(90,714 posts)Whatever good intentions the Revolutionaries started with, they ended up with immense cruelty and no freedom.
3catwoman3
(24,006 posts)
what was then still the USSR. It was a trip of nurses, and the purpose was to compare health care in the US to health care in the USSR, specifically to look at whether or not there was anything comparable to the nurse practitioner role we have here. Short answer - no. Not even close.
We went to the capitals of 5 of the republics - Russia first, then Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and finally Ukraine. While going by bus from one of the southern republics to another (cant now remember which), we saw women washing their clothes in a river, beating them on the rocks on the shoreline. We saw men driving horse-drawn wagons with wooden wheels - solid wooden wheels, not even wheels with spokes.
It might as well have been 1881, if that. Shockingly primitive.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)I wonder how much significant change has happened? Under Putin, why would they want everyone connected?
3catwoman3
(24,006 posts)In some of the very rural areas, I would not be surprised if things havent changed much.
All in all, it was an interesting 2 weeks, but not much fun, and I was very glad to get back home.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)Saw a lot of weird shit, but probably best not to express your opinion in the moment. I had those moments as well, in China.
radius777
(3,635 posts)in an around the large cities, especially amongst the younger people. The internet basically has shown them how the West lives and they want that for themselves. That's why Putin's dream of returning to the Soviet way is not going to work in the long run.