Comments on: Russian corruption: crooked officials steal multi-billion-dollar company, $230M tax refund, then murder campaigning lawyer http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 17:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Thorzdad http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092389 Thorzdad Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092389 It helps to view Russia as an ongoing experiment where capitalism is allowed to freely evolve with little regulatory influence. It helps to view Russia as an ongoing experiment where capitalism is allowed to freely evolve with little regulatory influence.

]]> By: murrayhenson http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1093167 murrayhenson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1093167 They obviously failed to properly support the government - and I don't mean paying taxes. For potential visitors: if you are white and middle class and speak English (or Russian) and don't stand out you would probably be ok, especially in whatever semi-decent parts of cities there may be. Also if you aren't averse to a bit of bribery that would help, too. If you want a little taste of Russia without the distinct possibility of bribing or an ass-beating because you're the wrong color or too rich or poor or just happen to exist in an irritating sort of way, consider a visit to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic or Slovenia. If you want incomprehensible Cyrillic try Ukraine - its not in the EU but I haven't heard any horror stories from the various people I know who've visited it. I can't speak for the LV, TL or EE three but PL, SK, CZ and SL are all more or less fine. They are full of white people but the inhabitants aren't normally aggressive towards non-white people, especially in bigger cities. They obviously failed to properly support the government – and I don’t mean paying taxes.

For potential visitors: if you are white and middle class and speak English (or Russian) and don’t stand out you would probably be ok, especially in whatever semi-decent parts of cities there may be. Also if you aren’t averse to a bit of bribery that would help, too.

If you want a little taste of Russia without the distinct possibility of bribing or an ass-beating because you’re the wrong color or too rich or poor or just happen to exist in an irritating sort of way, consider a visit to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic or Slovenia. If you want incomprehensible Cyrillic try Ukraine – its not in the EU but I haven’t heard any horror stories from the various people I know who’ve visited it. I can’t speak for the LV, TL or EE three but PL, SK, CZ and SL are all more or less fine. They are full of white people but the inhabitants aren’t normally aggressive towards non-white people, especially in bigger cities.

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092702 Nadreck Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092702 Communism: the shortest path from Capitalism to Capitalism! Communism: the shortest path from Capitalism to Capitalism!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1094754 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1094754 beat me too it: it was my first thought too. beat me too it: it was my first thought too.

]]> By: Dewi Morgan http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1093478 Dewi Morgan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1093478 True - I got almost the exact same feeling from reading this, as reading about the New Orleans cops yesterday. True – I got almost the exact same feeling from reading this, as reading about the New Orleans cops yesterday.

]]> By: jphilby http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092239 jphilby Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092239 Ho boy, whatever you do, don't turn guys like that lose on Wall Stree ... oh wait. Ho boy, whatever you do, don’t turn guys like that lose on Wall Stree … oh wait.

]]> By: rebdav http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092242 rebdav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092242 Terrifying how easy it is for many to, with some justification, look back on the Stalinist era of murder with nostalgia. Terrifying how easy it is for many to, with some justification, look back on the Stalinist era of murder with nostalgia.

]]> By: Ocker3 http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1093015 Ocker3 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1093015 In Soviet Russia, the Government takes from those doing work, and gives to the rich, while in non-Socialist USA, wait... In Soviet Russia, the Government takes from those doing work, and gives to the rich, while in non-Socialist USA, wait…

]]> By: rebdav http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092250 rebdav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092250 Meaning at least there was some honesty to the regime of terror, it was about power more than money. Meaning at least there was some honesty to the regime of terror, it was about power more than money.

]]> By: Jack http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092255 Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092255 The problem is all of this is an aftershock of the downfall of a dysfunctional system. Folks do this because it’s the only way they know of dealing with the world. The former Soviet Union is going to need at least 2-3 more generations of folks who stand up against this stuff for it to completely go away. The problem is all of this is an aftershock of the downfall of a dysfunctional system. Folks do this because it’s the only way they know of dealing with the world. The former Soviet Union is going to need at least 2-3 more generations of folks who stand up against this stuff for it to completely go away.

]]> By: bjacques http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092270 bjacques Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092270 @Jack: It goes back a lot further than that. Russia today is a Tsarist court in all but name, with oligarchs replacing the boyars of old. The good cop / bad cop leadership of Putin and Medvedev is an interesting wrinkle, but a superficial one. Putin is the Little Father and the Russian Orthodox church knows which side of its bread the caviar is on. The Russian people deserve better and have done since day one, but I can't see how they'll ever get it. For what it's worth, Tsar Alexander II freed the serfs 150 years ago in March. @Jack:

It goes back a lot further than that. Russia today is a Tsarist court in all but name, with oligarchs replacing the boyars of old. The good cop / bad cop leadership of Putin and Medvedev is an interesting wrinkle, but a superficial one. Putin is the Little Father and the Russian Orthodox church knows which side of its bread the caviar is on.

The Russian people deserve better and have done since day one, but I can’t see how they’ll ever get it.

For what it’s worth, Tsar Alexander II freed the serfs 150 years ago in March.

]]> By: johnphantom http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092277 johnphantom Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092277 I'd like to make an "in Russia..." joke, but this is really bad. I always kinda thought about going there some day, but I won't because not only do you have to watch out for the "criminals" but you also have to watch out for the law enforcement, and everything in between. I’d like to make an “in Russia…” joke, but this is really bad.

I always kinda thought about going there some day, but I won’t because not only do you have to watch out for the “criminals” but you also have to watch out for the law enforcement, and everything in between.

]]> By: andrei.timoshenko http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092280 andrei.timoshenko Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092280 The only way to increase accountability of the powerful is to reduce the 'gap' by which they are more powerful than the rest of the population. Unfortunately, this can only stably be accomplished through long-term, grass-root gradual accumulation of power among those at the bottom. If this process starts taking too long, revolutions often result, but these sadly tend to do nothing but exchange one small group of overly powerful individuals for another. Would be nice if someone could come up with a third alternative better than the other two... The only way to increase accountability of the powerful is to reduce the ‘gap’ by which they are more powerful than the rest of the population. Unfortunately, this can only stably be accomplished through long-term, grass-root gradual accumulation of power among those at the bottom. If this process starts taking too long, revolutions often result, but these sadly tend to do nothing but exchange one small group of overly powerful individuals for another.

Would be nice if someone could come up with a third alternative better than the other two…

]]> By: johnphantom http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092285 johnphantom Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092285 What should say about thinking about going there, was that like many here, I grew up at the end of the cold war and always thought that I would never get to see any of it first hand... What should say about thinking about going there, was that like many here, I grew up at the end of the cold war and always thought that I would never get to see any of it first hand…

]]> By: hassenpfeffer http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092286 hassenpfeffer Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092286 You think this is bad, wait'll you see some more of the aftershocks that emerge from the downfall of OUR dysfunctional system... You think this is bad, wait’ll you see some more of the aftershocks that emerge from the downfall of OUR dysfunctional system…

]]> By: Mazoola http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092554 Mazoola Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092554 What's the sound of one invisible hand clapping? What’s the sound of one invisible hand clapping?

]]> By: imag http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092336 imag Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092336 True that. True that.

]]> By: OrcOnTheEndOfMyFork http://boingboing.net/2011/04/26/russian-corruption-c.html#comment-1092605 OrcOnTheEndOfMyFork Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1092605 Meanwhile the United States government gives their buddies running "too big to fail" corporations all the money they could want at taxpayer's expense while spending years torturing people held at Guantanamo Bay without a trial and with little chance they'll ever leave alive. Kinda hard to point fingers. Meanwhile the United States government gives their buddies running “too big to fail” corporations all the money they could want at taxpayer’s expense while spending years torturing people held at Guantanamo Bay without a trial and with little chance they’ll ever leave alive. Kinda hard to point fingers.

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