#6010
[Second Issue of the Day]
#4
From: "Craig Hanson (Contractor)" <craig.hanson@monroe.army.mil>
Subject: RE: 6008-Booming Russia
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002
Is Michael Binyon living in the same Russia I've been following in the JRL these past couple of years; the same Russia I lived in from '97-'99 (JRL 6008, Booming Russia)? "The economy is booming, gnawing social problems are easing, crime is down, optimism is up, and the political outlook is secure." Surely some rose colored glasses are being worn here. I, too, lived in Moscow, and it was easy to believe that Russia was doing amazingly well when viewed from the perspective of that city, and to some extent Saint Petersburg. But a trip to anywhere else in the country was an abrupt reminder that the vast majority of Russians are surviving conditions that fall far short of a boom. After I left Russia, Mr Putin replaced Mr Yeltsin, and undeniably has brought a sense of youthful vigor and stability to the political climate, the nuances of how that stability is being achieved being a topic for another day. But stability should not be confused with a transformation of the Russian economy, which continues to ride on the cost of oil. Mr Binyon notes that Muskovites earn 6 times the national average. Even though the national average is paupery, six times that, relatively speaking, is ALOT! He concedes Moscow accounts for 30% of national retail spending, but adds "the boom is across the country." I'd like to believe that, but I find it too hard. "Booming Moscow" probably would have been a more accurate title for this piece.
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