Your assignment for Tuesday, read the beginning of the Hauss Chapter 9 (225-234) on Russian history. Then ID in the comment section here, from the reading (Hauss and Sochi or Bust) four victories (things that are working in Russia) and a fail (one that isn't) to tie to a theme of the Sochi Opening Ceremony's fail (epic?) of the fifth snowflake that did not turn into an Olympic ring. You should also watch this insightful, 17-minute documentary.
Part
I: Go back to the article, and find 2-3
specific examples of what is working in Russia and what is not. (Why did the 5th ring not work?)
Part
II: Is it De’ja’ Vu all over again in
the Russia, as the Hauss Chapter asks in the opening?
Answer in the comment section before the end of the day Tuesday, 2/11.
41 comments:
Victories:
1. russian economy is doing well for the people, there are good levels of employment and good wages
2. so far russia has seen a good use of "historical materialism" where there is relatively good distribution of wealth
3. the government is less totalitarian than it was in the stalin era, though changes can be made
4. the people themselves are hardy people, although there has been dissent about putin's powers in presidency, but mostly they have been a quiet public since the bolsheviks
Failure:
5. the bureaucracy is shambles. there is rampant corruption and the kremlin is a major power in the political system. there is something akin to a spoils system in the governance of cities and general disregard for human rights
Victories:
1. The PPP is high for Russia. It has been stated in the article that the Russian Middle class is buying and spending as much as their western counterpart. Coming from a country that expelled capitalist notions, this is incredibly victorious in the eyes of Americans.
2. The government has established strict rules instigated from the Soviet Union, for example, they are able to react efficiently and effectively after multiple terrorist plots.
3. They are united. Russia manages to carry itself with it's culture. The Russian people are together on their decisions, and there isn't much that they truly disagree on.
4. The GDP is stable. Yes, it hasn't increased, but it continues to keep itself stable. This says a lot about trade opportunities and Russian competitiveness in the global market.
Failure:
5. Russian cyclic nature. Corruption is evident in many of the economic and political endeavors of the nation. People aren't too happy with the bureaucracy or the oil prices. Many political scientist have figured that this may cause some sort of social unrest. We knows what follows that.
Pt 2:
Personally, I don't think its is De'ja' vu all over again for Russia. I think they honestly learned from their mistakes, and learned from what they did wrong, and are moving on with it. They are facing the same problems many other democracies are facing, however they are taking small steps to move on. We need to realize that we are in the same generation as the Soviet Union, it will take generations to clear the slate for Russia.
forgot the second part....but no i don't think its deja vu for the russians. i dont think history repeats itself, but there are patterns and parallels that can be followed. as such, i believe the russians can really turn their situation around if putin can get his act together, if not, russia will struggle until 2018 and then try again to make something of itself that is worth positive recognition.
Victories:
1. The government is not as totalitarian as it has been. One thing for sure is that Russia is not trapped in Stalin-istic living. There is still suffering, but on a different, perhaps better plane.
2. The Russians have always been a united people. Society is very much culture based and there is a great pride for their culture.
3. Russia has progressively become a major player on the the global level. They certainly have gained power over the years.
4.The oil prices still remain high for Russia which helps to sustain their economy.
Failure
5.The games are suppose to represent a time to intermingle internationally;however, the government is so concerned about revolts and internal struggles that the security is intensively restricted for any Olympic Games. More so than ever.
Part II
I believe that it is de'ja'vu. This time around, there are different circumstances and obstacles to deal with. However, it is still a controlling government who has such a tight grip on the lives of their people and status of their country. Things may seem to be better, but at the core, much of Russia is the same even with all the victories and failures.
VICTORIES
1. The economy has become more efficient without the presence of the military-industrial complex that consumed excessive amounts of resources. Production is actually focused more towards what the people want.
2. The economy is fairly stable. Growth is only 1.5%, however it is not in a recession.
3. There are elections. They are often rigged, yet this is some progress from the totalitarianism of the SU. There are also new opportunities for political participation.
4. As we have seen with the Olympics, Russian culture is a uniting factor. The figure skating team thanked President Putin during their interview and hailed their country. Despite their tumultuous past, they love it there.
FAILURES
1. The government/Kremlin controls all news networks, radio stations, and newspapers. This allows for little freedom of speech or expression from Russian citizens. The snowflake failing to melt into a ring was not actually seen by Russians because of the editing.
Part 2:I do not think this is a de'ja'vu all over again for Russia. Yes there are a lot of controls with the Kremlin as well as political corruption. However their protests for gays and other demonstrations for individual rights shows that Russian citizens will not turn back to the days of the SU
Victories:
1. The government has allowed the private sector to develop. The government no longer regulates prices or spends time and money on products that no one wants.
2. The state is the largest employer, giving many of its employees a higher salary than in the past. 35% - 40% of people depend on the state for work.
3. There is still a lot of potential for improvement in Russia. Numbers are stable, PPP is increasing, and there is relatively low state debt. This gives Russia more room to grow if they can figure out how to.
4. The people want change. Almost 50% of citizens do not want Putin to be re-elected in the 2018 election. They can see that they are approaching a dead end economically and socially. A change is necessary for Russia to gain more respect both from its own people and from the rest of the world.
Failure:
5. Russia still struggles to perform with maximum efficiency and cronyism is still popular. The Kremlin is suspicious towards privatization, thus letting state corporations run the economy. This type of environment soaks up resources, increases inflation, and fosters corruption. Like Akshaya said, this is all cyclic.
Part 2:
Although it is clear that Russia is still struggling to break out of its cycle of corruption and inefficiency, they are trying to change, and that is what prevents this from being De’ja’ Vu. They have recognized their weaknesses politically and economically, they just have to figure out how to respond to these weaknesses in order to build a stronger nation.
1. Quasi-Marxism has, fortunately or unfortunately, been achieved in Russia. Although the West will never admit to it, Russia, with her fearsome natural resources, and abundance of people, benefits greatly from a Marxist economy.
2. The lands conquered by our friend Tsar Alexander II of russia are being (controlled) quite well. This is of course until ultra nationalist forces can take a potshot at a weakened state and gain independence. Good luck.
3. Drug addiction was a really big problem for Russia near the end of the 20th century, and I haven't heard anything about it recently. Maybe the state brushed it under the rug.
4. Although many westerners believe Russia's bureaucracy is crumbling, this is simply an old russian ploy being re-used. A good Russian leader knows how to domesticate his Boyars, and consolidate power for himself, whilst making his duma look foolish. duh. come on guys.
Failure:
5. As many have noted, primarily the Economist in an article a few years ago, Russia's military is decrepit. Russia has been known for millenia to have an excellent military program, and the recent batch of recruits have been an embarassment.
Part 2:
Of course this is a deja vu! Duh. Russians are very very very very very very very very very very very very very traditionalistic (same with chinese) and always repeat themselves. This is why Communism worked so well in both countries. If the countries are either China or Russia, LOOK FOR HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. The west, not so much. But Russia, always look for tsarist/imperial/soviet/duchy responses to things, as these are normally all the same, and will be updated, and then utilized, by our dear Vladimir.
Part 1
Victories:
1. The Government no longer regulates prices as it did in the Soviet Era.
2. There is a large private sector that actually produces things the people want not just producing what the government want them to have.
3. The military industrial complex spending has shrunk.
4. Growth in the middle class as well as growth in luxury spending has increased since the Soviet Era.
Failure:
5. The Sochi Olympics has really shown Russia's corruption, inefficiencies, excesses of wealth and disregard for ordinary citizens. As shown in the video and with in the article the bottom 40% of the population is being taken advantage of and abused while the 35-45% of government workers, that really just shuffle papers, are unaware or don't care about the rest of the population.
Part 2
I think this is De'ja' vu because the state is starting to take back control of the privatized corporations. The state controls about half of the corporations and through this they can set absurd inflated prices so Putin and his buddies could steal reportedly a third of the games cost. This corruption and fast money with no infrastructure investment leads to income decreasing. The regime will then have to respond to the publics discontent and lose power, either through a revolution or democratization which happened back in the 1980's and is happening now.
1. Good distribution of wealth.
2. Great Anti-Terror tactics (could be considered over the top).
3. Stable GDP, that being said it hasn't gone up much, byt it still hasn't fallen which is pretty good.
4. The Russian people in general are very united, which van be both positive and a negative.
5. (Negative) The rampant corruption in Russia is astounding, more so do to the fact that the majority of Russians seem very complacent.
Victories:
1. Russia has become a more global country while sustaining the culture of its past. It's culture remains extremely prominent and as a nation, its people hold great pride in their country.
2. Unlike many other countries, Russia isn't in a recession. The GDP growth is constant yet stable.
3. Russia has the ability to continue growing as it has a high PPP and a relatively low debt. Unlike many developed/developing countries, Russia has the ability to pursue a path learning from the mistakes of others if they choose to.
4. While more advancements need to be made to better the state of many people, Russia is much less totalitarian as it was in the past.
Failure:
5. Not surprisingly, corruption is still as very big issue in Russia which plagues the country socially, economically, and politically. The people are frustrated with the lack of transparency and legitimacy of the government.
Part 2:
I wouldn't call this necessarily deja vu just because the path Russia is on has the ability to be changed for the better at any time. However, I too believe that at the core many of the same issues exist as have in the past. The strong control the government over its people is restricting Russia from moving forward and hinders the true freedom of its people. While, Russia portrays the stance that it is truly trying to become a more global player than ever, I huge doubt sits in my mind that they may just be saying this in theory but not actually playing it out.
Victories:
1) Russia has gradually moved away from a totalitarian-ish regime.
2) The GDP has become relatively stable, which proves Russian compatibility.
3)"historical materialism" has proven itself an advantage, indicating a somewhat good distribution of wealth
4)Russian culture is strong and unifies its citizens
Failure:
1) Freedom of speech is definitely not exercised very freely, as seen by the censoring of the Russian Olympics. The Russian people have a long way to go in that area.
Part 2:
I don't think this is deja'vu necessarily, because the Russian people have made strides, however small, towards more freedom since the days of the USSR.
Victories:
1. The economy is doing well over all: stable GDP, employment levels, wages.
2. The Russian people seem to be united by their culture.
3. Russia has elections which is a big step away from totalitarianism; it gives different/more people a chance to participate in government.
4. Wealth is distributed well.
Failure:
5. There is so much corruption in Russia and no one seems to do anything about it.
Part 2
I do not think this is deja vu as Russia has taken many strides since the Soviet days
Victories:
1) Mostly stable economy including employment levels and wages
2) Wealth is distributed fairly evenly throughout the social classes
3) Russian citizens are unified by common culture
4) Compared to what it was in the past, Russia is much less totalitarian
Failure:
5) Corruption still presents are large problem for Russia. The government is not as transparent as it should be and this aggravates many of the citizens.
Part Two- This does not seem to be deja vu for Russia. The country has come leaps and bounds from the Soviet days. I do not think they would be able to go back to their old ways in the world we live in today.
Victories:
1. The middle class of Russia is spending roughly as much as westerners.
2. While the Russian economic growth has slowed to 1.5%, it is significantly better off than some 30 years ago.
Failures:
1. The powerful elite control industry with their connections and thus corruption is a serious problem.
2. The state is still the largest employer and accounts for some 40% of the national GDP.
Part II
I do not think Russia is going through De'ja' vu. For starters, I do not think that a reemergence of communism is likely or possible in any former communist state. I believe that the State is slowly diminishing its power, although Putin has done much to stop this transition, I think it is inevitable in the next decade. I also think that unless Putin is willing to adopt a Stalin-like stance on expression of free-speech, the protesters will have a very active role in the coming years.
Victories:
1. The middle class of Russia is spending roughly as much as westerners.
2. While the Russian economic growth has slowed to 1.5%, it is significantly better off than some 30 years ago.
Failures:
1. The powerful elite control industry with their connections and thus corruption is a serious problem.
2. The state is still the largest employer and accounts for some 40% of the national GDP.
Part II
I do not think Russia is going through De'ja' vu. For starters, I do not think that a reemergence of communism is likely or possible in any former communist state. I believe that the State is slowly diminishing its power, although Putin has done much to stop this transition, I think it is inevitable in the next decade. I also think that unless Putin is willing to adopt a Stalin-like stance on expression of free-speech, the protesters will have a very active role in the coming years.
Victories
1. The economic growth is stable and levels of employment are stable.
2. The government is not nearly as totalitarian as it once was.
3. The country is culturally united and they have strong feelings for their history.
4. Russia is a large player on a global scale.
Failures
1.The government is corrupt and even though their is voting, it is most definitely rigged.
Part II: Russia seems to fall back into corruption even after the many wars and struggles to get the corrupt out of power. History does tend to repeat itself, but now in a general sense. For Russia, yes, but not for every country and certainly not indefinitely.
Victories:
1) Russia has become a stronger state internationally than before. They are more industrialized and can now compete with other large nations.
2) There's a developed middle class that is comparable to other nations, which shows there is a good distribution of wealth.
3) While their economic growth did decline, at least it is stable and there is growth.
4) The article mentioned the nation has little debt, which could balance out the struggling economy.
Failure:
5) Political corruption plagues the nation. It causes economic and social corruption, which will eventually be demise of the ones in power.
Part II:
No, I do not believe history repeats itself. There are certain trends that may reoccur. In my personal opinion, I don't think they have solved many of the issues from the past revolution, so how can something happen again, when it hasn't even been solved/finished the first time?
Victories:
1. The economy has picked up, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union. People are able to buy what they want and the government does not regulate prices.
2. The government is not as controlling as it was in the Soviet Union. It is still controlling and dominating, but at least a little more freedom has come out of the new Russia.
3.There have been no mass protests or uprisings from the Russian people. There have been terrorist bombings like the one in Vologrqad, but no massive uprisings threatening the stability of the country.
4. Russia is still united. Like Nikolia Gogol's troika-bird, the Russians are a proud people and they feel like they are exceptional.
Failure:
1.The complete lack of care for the common person in Russia. The elections are rigged, many people lack even the basic necessities of life, and the elites of Russia led by the Kremlin do not care. They are content to let themselves benefit despite everything else that is going on.
In my opinion this is deja vu all over again. Throughout Russia's history it is a cycle. Conditions for the people are terrible, they revolt and a new government takes its place and then nothing changes until the next revolt. This happened after Ivan the Terrible, leading up to the USSR, and now Putin is doing basically the same thing. Nothing changes in Russia and it is just a matter of time before the next revolution happens. It may or may not be violent, but it will occur eventually.
Victories:
1. For now, the economy is doing okay, even though they blew so much money on Sochi's Games.
2. Their government isn't completely totalitarian now. Even though from the outside it still seems pretty corrupt, it's now as strict as it was in during the Soviet period.
3. Russia's people mostly agree on things, so even under Putin's suffocating rule, the people seem to still be relatively united.
4. Russia has the drive to be a global power. Even thought the GDP is stable and hasn't been growing a whole lot, Russia keeps trying to improve their economy anyways.
The Failure: There is a lot of corruption in Russia, especially in the government. The people seem to have gotten used to it so they don't do much. It's not as bad as suffocating as the Soviet period but it's still very corrupt.
Part 1:
1. One example of what is working (that the article mentioned) is the security in Sochi. They're working against the terrorist threats and securing the city well.
2. " The government no longer regulates prices. Russia no longer wastes time and money producing things nobody wants."
3. A failure mentioned in the article is the failure to regulate spending in Russia. They easily blow money on things that aren't as important as their own economy.
Part 2:
I don't think it's déjà vu all over again for Russia. They're putting in some serious effort to move away from a totalitarian government and it's working on some level. It's not as bad as in the Soviet period but there still is a lot of corruption in modern day Russia. So in the end, it's not déjà vu exactly.
Part 1:
1. Russia has a fairly stable economy. Their economic growth is at a slow, but stable 1.5%.
2. Russians are united overall. They take a lot of pride in their culture.
3. The government no longer regulates prices-private sector. They no longer waste time producing products nobody wants.
4. High oil prices stabilizes their economy.
Failure:
5. A lot of corruption within Russia. State companies control about half of Russia's economy. The Sochi Olympics are a great example: the biggest contracts were given to firms run by Putin's friends.
Part 2:
I don't think it is De’ja’ Vu all over again because it seems like Russia is trying to move on from their Soviet Union days, but their economy and political corruption seems to be holding them back. They are talking baby steps, but compared to the U.S. or the UK they are a relatively new country and it is going to take them a while before they get their clean slate.
1. The Russians have one of the top counter-terrorism units in the world. This is can be seen by the high levels of security at the Sochi games.
2.Russia has moved away from the totalitarian era of the 60's and 70's and is become more of a democracy(kind of).
3. There has been a growth in the middle class since the 60's and 70's. What Russia is experiencing is similar to that of China right now with its middle class.
4. The Russian people seemed to be more united than in the past. Even if they are uniting against Putin's oppressive regime, they are still uniting none the less.
5. The corruption levels in Russia are ridiculous. I think good evidence of this is the fact that the Russians spent 50 billion on Sochi. I have a feeling that some of that money was not going to the places it was meant to go.
De’ja’ Vu- I definitely think it
is De’ja’ Vu in Russia. There is still an oppressive regime in charge of the country, and people in Russia still cannot speak out against the government. What is changing is the way that Russia is portraying itself. They lead you to believe that they are a legitimate democracy with completely fair elections, but if you look a little closer you can see the tight grip that Putin has over these people. It probably won't be going away until Putin is in the ground.
Victories:
1. economic stability
2. Strong sense of nationalism
3. Strides toward free elections
4. Much less totalitarian
Failure:
1.Censorship and harsh treatment of homosexuals, especially during the Olympics. They're people too, Putin.
Part II.
I don't think it is, because they are making strides to go away from totalitarianism, so I don't see it as De'ja'vu.
1. The economy in Russia is stable, despite the GDP not moving up it is also not going down. Which is more or less an accomplishment.
2. Russians have a strong sense of nationalism, despite the games going so poorly, thy still do.
3. Russia has become a strong global power opposed to the intraverts they were in the past.
4. Russia is no longer totalitarian opposed to the communist days.
5. The government is riddled with corruption.
Part 2:
It is not déjà vu since history doesn't repeat itself and they still take strides toward a more free and fair world.
Part 1:
Victories:
1) The Russian population seem to be united by a common culture.
2) Russia has a mostly stable GDP, employment levels, wages.
3) Russia has a growing middle class and is beginning to distribute wealth better.
Failure:
1) There is still a lot of corruption through out the country that no-one is trying to stop.
2) Russia doesn't fully have freedom of speech which we can see from the Olympics
Part 2:
I don't think this is De’ja’ Vu for the Russians because the there are so many more improvements to the country from the Soviet times. History doesn't tend to repeat it's self in this modern world with so many other countries watching over each other.
Part 1
1. A success on the part of the Russians would be their economic standpoint, which may be taking a hit from the Sochi Games, but has dramatically improved from earlier stages.
2. Another strength would be the power of Mr. Putin on a global level. Putin has shown he is the new face of the globe, without oppressing his people in a manner that was done in the past.
3. The middle class and overall wealth of Russia are on the rise. If we were comparing ourselves to Russia 10 years ago, the story would be much different.
4. A failure of the Russian government is the no tolerance policies for some social reform such as gay marriage. It seems that Russia will lag behind in aspects like these.
5. Lastly, Russia seems to be very uncomfortable with the constant transition for far left wing to far right wing politics. Moderate government has not been seen in this country, and you never know what could happen with Putin and his corrupt counterparts.
Part 2
De'ja'Vu seems to be a bit of a stretch in my opinion, with Russia obviously globalizing themselves economically and in some political aspects, but when it comes to the oppression and corruption on its people by the government, I think these ideas could be relapsing in some Russian minds.
Part I: Successes
1) The progression of the Russian government has moved away from a totalitarian state and is allowing the Russian people to have a "managed democracy" that allows voting, without a threat to the sovereignty of the President.
2) Economically speaking, Russia has allowed an increase in privatization and lessened regulations which has created a more stable and positive economic situation for its people
3) The culture unity of the Russian people is in all honesty unmatched by any nation, as exemplified by the Sochi Olympics.
4)With the highest PPP, Russia demonstrates the ability of the middle class to contribute economically and utilize spending power.
:Failure
5) The two biggest issues of the Russian government, both pertaining to the government's ability to control its citizens, have been exemplified greatly by the Olympics. The first being corruption by officials. The most expensive Olympics at 50 billion dollars also have been surrounded with speculations that 1/3 of that money has been stolen due to corruptness. Second, the very very slow progression of civil rights and citizen freedoms has resulted in revolts over homosexuality and produced global outcry. Both issues weigh heavily on the government.
Part II:
I am hesitant to say that history repeats itself because it is my belief that history never reoccurs exactly as it has in the past but rather reappears in parallels and similar themes. When it comes to Russia I do not think its deja vu because of the movement away from totalitarianism and progression of economic privatization. The real question that should be asked about Russia is where is it heading? I question whether or not the citizens of Russia truly want greater democratic freedom, or if the Russian cultural identity is too strong. It will be interesting to see how the government stays centralized and controlling after these Olympics.
Victories:
1. The Russian economy is helping the people. The middle class is spending money and their purchasing power parity is high.
2. Russian culture and pride is a very, very strong and dominant factor in their every day life.
3.Though the opportunity for women and minority is small, the possibility of becoming a political figure is not as unattainable as it has been in the past, Russia is moving to catch up with the times.
4. The military industry has shrunk.
Failure:
5. Corruption is quite visible in Russian economic and political terms. And the government strictly controls/regulates Russian media.
pt.2
This is not deja vu for Russia. Despite the fact that there is still a lot of political corruption, the fact that individuals are so adamant about retaining their rights leads me to believe that Russians do not find a SU 2.0 in their future.
Part 1
Successes:
1. I think that a huge accomplishment for Russia has been the ability to keep a stable economy. While the economic growth is only at 1.5%, the economy is stable overall and the state debt is relatively low.
2. The government has taken a large step away from totalitarianism. The government no longer regulates prices, and there is a large private sector.
3. After 2009, the government has increased public spending by 40% and the salaries of the public sector workers have increased.
4. Russia has progressively become more involved as a world power. I think as a whole, Russia seems very united, and as I think we, as outsiders, may have much to criticize, their nationalism and love for Russia no matter what is very strong.
Failures:
5. I think there is quite a lot of room for Russia to grow politically, economically and socially. I think that major adjustments should be made and that will take some time. As a whole, I think they have come a long way. I think they are struggling because they have failed to create institutions and lay a foundation in which the economy can grow and allow for increased competition.
Part 2:
I do not think that in this case Russian history will repeat itself. I think that they have taken large steps politically especially and a bit of economic improvement. I think that socially Russia is behind by a lot, but I have faith that they will move in the right direction. Russia is proving themselves in several ways that they are in face a world power and I think that their history is not really repeating itself.
Victories:
- Considered one of the world's major emerging economies
- United culture. Society seems proud to be Russian
- GDP has remained stable, so they are protecting themselves from recession
- The government has improved considering there are now elections even though they're rigged. But at least it's not like Stalin anymore.
Failure:
- Life expectancy has gone down in the last generation
Part II:
- I don't think this is necessarily history repeating itself, but it does show a correlation between the past and present. This correlation allows us to understand how we may go about avoiding the problems of the past or, in a different situation, how to improve upon previous events.
Victories:
1. Nationalism: Putin has improved their country and provided strong leadership to come around and with it a strong cultural identity.
2. The government has brought the country onto the global stage, and while they do not have the best of relations with the west, they are not closed off to the rest of the world.
3. Economically, Russia has improved significantly and has been able to support comparable markets to other parts of the world, as well as having a minimal national debt.
4. The political system is less totalitarian that it was as the Soviet Union and there are elections, although they are far from being free in the way we see freedom.
Failure:
5. Corruption. It is so present in society and has been visible with these current Olympics. Putin likes to give his friends favors and they prosper while people's homes are destroyed by the building for the olympics and next to nothing is done to help them recover from that.
Is it deja vu? I think Russia is falling into a cycle very similar to their past, but done with more open government and economy so I don't think it is deja vu, just something following a similar path.
Victories:
1. Wealth is fairly distributed throughout the population
2. Stable Economy, which is an improvement over their past
Failures:
1. Elites hold most of the powers in the industry
2. The Russian people have limited civil rights and liberties
I don`t believe they are facing Deja Vu. I think they are just facing the normal problems of a developing democracy. I believe they are just searching for what is best for them, and their will be some bumps in the road on the way there.
Victories:
1. Their economy is stable for the most part, with a 1.5% growth rate.
2. The Russians have a strong sense of pride in their culture. This unifies the country, especially now during the Olympics.
3. Russia has a relatively low level of state debt.
4. Russia is a global power. They are a member of the United Nations Security Council, which gives them a huge say in international affairs.
Failure:
1. There is too many to count. Russia's life expectancy has declined in the last generation, the environment is a disaster, the Russian Mafia is a huge problem, and there is so much political corruption it makes Illinois politics look good.
Part 2:
I do not think this is de'ja'vu for Russia. Its like what Putin said, "Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain.” The USSR is a major part of Russian history, and it can't simply be ignored. But remembering their past doesn't mean they will fall back into their old ways. I think the Russians are smart enough to know that returning to Soviet Russia would be a very bad idea.
Victories:
1. Besides slow growth, Russia maintains a stable economy and similar distribution of wealth
2. A national identity that can't be matched by any other country, extremely united culture.
3. Government is by no stretch an ideal democracy, but has made huge steps since totalitarianism.
4. Russia is a strong global power, despite its struggles with western relations
Failure:
It's hard to pick just one- but most deficiencies connect back to the over-centralized and over-powerful government. There is no free speech/free press, human rights (including sexuality) are often overlooked, and most of the economy is dominated by the state, or "friends" of the state, making an extremely corrupt market.
The situation in Russia definitely resembles a cycle, but I don't believe it's Deja Vu. Communist history cannot repeat itself because of lessons learned after downfall and many wars- learned by both the Russian people and the world powers. Russia is simply following a historical precedent to try to overcome it's current strives.
Russian Victories -
1. While the government still has elements of totalitarianism, it has greatly improved since the USSR and will possibly continue towards democracy in the future (similar to China)
2. Their economy is strong, due to oil, a high purchasing power parity, GDP growth, and low government debt.
3. Russian citizens are united under a strong feeling of nationalism, which comes from the nature of Russian culture.
4. Their security and anti-terrorism measures are at an all time high in preparation for the Sochi Winter Olympics.
"Epic" Fails -
1. Corruption clearly still exists in the government, seeing that 2 billion dollars was spend on the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002, and 50 billion is being spent in Sochi. Watchdog groups have already investigated this and declared that contractors who are close with Putin are profiting greatly from this.
Part 2:
I don't believe this is "De'ja Vu" for Russia simply because the world as a whole is a lot different. With the Arab Spring, a trend has been set around the globe in which many countries are pushing towards a democracy, and I think Russia will be come less corrupt over time.
Victories
1. The GDP is rather stable, and the country is not in a recession.
2. There have not been any mass protests by the Russian people.
3. A growing, strong middle class in Russia.
4. The government is less controlling than it has been in the past.
Failure
1. The corruption in Russia makes the entire country look bad, especially their efforts to make a perfect Olympics.
No, because Deje vu suggests that "I've seen this before" but in reality, Russia has come a long way from the soviet era. So although there is some corruption, overall, the people are in better shape and it is possible to improve the state of their nation.
Victories:
1. The economy is relatively stable. As others have stated, there has not been significant GDP growth, but there has also been so drastic downturn, which is a big step for a nation bound by communism into the early 1990s.
2. There is less totalitarian control over economic and social matters, even though total equality still hasn't been reached.
3. A sense of national identity and solidarity has remained through all political and social turmoil.
Failure:
4. Corruption still runs rampant within the Russian government.
Part 2:
I don't think this is deja vu for Russia; they have come a long way from where they were, and although there are still elements of communism and inequality deeply rooted in Russia, I don't see them reverting back to the state they were in before.
Victories:
- While some parts of Russia still suffer from the past regime of Stalin, the majority of Russia moves on and is now a better place to live, in terms of employment and job availability than it has ever been before.
- The Russian people tend to remain quieter when it comes to political protest, due to the results of the Bolsheviks in the past. However, they are a resilient folk, and the citizens of Russia are stronger than ever.
- The government has allowed the private sector to flourish, resulting in the raise of the PPP, and allowing the Russian economy to grow again.
Failure:
- The majority of political power in Russia flows through the Kremlin, which results in a large disconnect between the actions of the government and the needs of the people.
Part Two:
Russia is not experiencing a state of 'deja vu'. Though political corruption is rampant, and human rights have taken several blows, citizen unrest is beginning to again change the face of the Russian government. It's Russia's turn to move on from their mistakes and learn from them.
Victories:
1. The Russian private sector is currently growing to dominate the economy. Although the state remains the largest employer corporations are slowly gained more control.
2. Military industrial complex spending has declined over the last 30 years.
3. Unification of Russia. The russian people as a whole are together culturally.
4. Gradual steps towards a lesser totalitarian government have been made through political elections.
Failure:
1. The high amount rebellious groups surrounding the Sochi Olympics. The Olympics should be a time of joy to celebrate athletics, and leave behind religious and cultural differences.
This is not a dejavu for Russia. However, culture is russia doesn't change. The russian experienced a sense of greatness under the Soviet Union. Putin brings that strong national pride and identity back. Culturally, they may be experiencing some flashbacks, but they far from becoming the communist threat post WWII.
Victories:
1. Russia is united culturally. The people have a strong sense of nationalistic pride.
2. High oil prices are good for Russian economy and foreign demand is high
3. The economy is largely privatized by a few large companies-this is both a positive and negative. Corruption is everywhere.
4. While elections are usually rigged and corrupt, there are elections proving the government is trying to incorporate the will of the people into decision making
Failure: Foreign debt and economic vulnerability are at an all time high due to Russia's reliance on a single export-oil.
I do think that it is deja Vu for Russia. Both games are marked by tension between Russia and the West. In 1980 several countries, including America boycotted the games in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The inefficient industrial structure of the old Soviet economy, based on misallocation of both resources and people, remains intact- now with the oil industry.
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