The Collapse of New Russia

[Dover]

Russia is entering a period of man-made disasters. Aging Soviet-era machinery, infrastructure and buildings that went up mostly in the 1960s and early 1970s are now so worn out that they probably won't last more than a few more years. The fire at Ostankino television tower in 2000 was just a sign of things to come.

Experts close to the government dismissed such gloomy forecasts as unfounded, insisting that economic growth and the market will take care of the problem on their own.

But no one expected that the buildings thrown up in recent years would begin to crumble even before the country's vintage Soviet infrastructure finally gives out. Transvaal Park, which collapsed in southern Moscow over the weekend, was hardly the only new building with fatal flaws, but it struck a nerve. Not just because so many people were killed and injured, but also because the water park had been touted as a symbol of the "successful" new Russia.

City Hall proudly announced the opening of the "largest water park in Europe" when it opened in time for City Day back in 2002. The project was entirely financed by Russian investors -- built without city funds, the park was hailed as a triumph of private enterprise. Mayor Yury Luzhkov attended the grand opening, and the city awarded Transvaal an award for "best realized project" of 2002 in the category of sports, health and leisure facilities. Scenes of smiling middle-class families splashing and sliding soon began to flood the airwaves and the pages of glossy magazines.....cont'd

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/02/19/005.html

[cosmicdot]

1. they need to call Halliburton

if they have any money

[mac2]

2. Russia suffering from corporate crooks also......

All the so called new Democratic systems in the world can't succeed because of corruption and greed in their system.

Corporate power has not been taken out of their new system anymore than it is destroying ours. A Constitution and Bill of Rights is needed with corporate and influence of the wealthy elite protections. Jefferson said, these things could destroy a democracy. Seems Russia hasn't even had a start.

Russia failed and went bankrupt because of their military spending in Afghanistan...around the world. We are doing the same thing under Bush.

Bush tyranny is much like old military Russia. Always an enemy to defeat. We were the enemy. Now ours is the ME with...Suddam or Bin Laden.

[Dirk39]

3. You have to take into consideration...

that until 1997 they subscribed to the neoliberal agenda and became victims of the IMF-policies. Then they slowly started to understand what it is about: to destroy their economy and prevent a potential competitor for the USA.
Since Gorbatchev sold them out to capitalism, the life-expectancy rate in the former Soviet-Union is 5 years lower than before.
Still no democracy and no rights, the only differance seems to be, that health care, education, affordable rents and jobs are gone...

Putin's new strategy seems to be, to follow China's example. Protectionism and a somehow authoritarian regime, to protect Russia from the threads of foreign investors.

"corruption and greed in their system"?
But under the given circumstances: does Putin have any other chance than to chose between local corrupt elites and selling his country out to the USA?

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[bpilgrim]

4. they will make us - or our families/children - pay for the bullet/gas

this time round :'(

peace

[Dirk39]

5. Maybe...

Just compare Gorbatchev's image in the former SU to that in Europe and the USA. I guess, he's one of the most hated human beings in Russia.

I wouldn't subscribe to that hate, but in a way, he's a stunning example of people, who have the best intentions but are responsible for the worst results.

It was already to late. After Khrushchev tried to reform the Soviet Union, but couldn't convince the USA to stop the "arms race" in order to get the money to finance reforms, it was too late.

Gorbatchev thought he could work with the Socialist International for a real third-way kind of society, not recognizing that all the social-democratic and socialist partys of Europe had already surrendered to neoliberalism. The corporations and global players were just waiting for the SU to fall to start their war against democrazy, social-justice and everything the unions and left-wing parties had archieved since the end of WWII, the systematic rollback of democratic gains, public services, and common living standards around the world.

Does anybody remember, how we were told that with the end of "communism", eternal peace would be achieved, no more wars, no more poverty, wealth for all of us? Exactly the opposite did happen.
And more and more the promises of the neoliberal ideology sound like those grew leninist party-leaders announcing the unbeatable succes of their next 5-year-plan, while everything around them was falling apart.
Dirk