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Guest Post: Underneath Their Autocratic Rulers, Russia And U.S. On Diverging Societal Paths
Submitted by L. Todd Wood, a former special operations helicopter pilot and bond trader.
Underneath Their Autocratic Rulers, Russia and U.S. on Diverging Societal Paths
As the State of the Union address highlighted, both the Russia Federation and the United States have leaders that lean toward various degrees of autocratic government to achieve their agendas. President Putin rules with an iron fist and treats the legislative branch as an afterthought to use as needed but otherwise ignores. President Obama declares he will use executive action to get what he wants and quietly uses government agencies to intimidate and stifle his opposition in flagrant abuses of power. Putin has dismantled the Russian free press and imprisoned vocal opponents. The majority of the American press does Obama’s bidding for him while the administration puts movie makers in jail.
Underneath the tyrannical policies of the two Presidents, American and Russian society are diverging. First let’s look at welfare – it really doesn’t exist in Russia. If you’re a single mother raising your child alone, the state will pay you less than $50 a month. Unemployment insurance is also miniscule. The minimum wage is around $200 a month. I recently asked a Russian friend what they would receive if they lost their job. Her answer was, “It’s my problem, why should the government pay?” Health care is free but of very low quality. Russians with money typically choose private care and buy their own private health insurance.
In the United States, we are seeing an obscene explosion of the nanny-state. Obamacare has been exposed as a huge wealth redistribution scheme. The CBO states that the ACA is a disincentive to work. Disability payments are skyrocketing. The number of Americans receiving food stamps has doubled and is spiraling out of control. Welfare work requirements have been weakened. The left continuously pushes to add more immigrants to the government dole and refuses to enforce current immigration law.
The difference in the tax code between the two countries is also striking. If you live in New York, the combined government tax bite is above sixty percent. It is a safe bet that any Democratic state government will continue to try and raise taxes. Obama raised rates on the top earners in America and would boost them across the board if he could. In Russia, the individual tax rate is a flat thirteen percent. There is an eighteen percent VAT and the corporate rate is twenty-four percent. If Russia could remove her corrupt barriers to entry, her economy would explode higher.
The difference between the two nations when approaching geopolitical challenges cannot be more extreme. The United States has shown a willingness to abandon long standing allies time and time again on the global chessboard. Whether it be Israel, Poland, or Saudi Arabia, the Obama administration has shrank from global leadership and left a gigantic vacuum for President Putin to happily fill. Russia has shown a willingness to ignore Western political correctness and stand up for Russian long-term interests. One only has to look to the Iranian nuclear issue, the Syrian situation, or the Snowden embarrassment to see evidence of Putin schooling the American government. The American position seems to consist of avoiding conflict and appeasing adversaries rather than standing up for historical American values, our allies, and our way of life.
One of the most interesting differences that has been inconveniently obvious in the international press is the Russian refusal to embrace the religion of global warming. While the American government strives to shut down energy economic engines of power, Russia uses energy to achieve its national goals. Putin has been quoted as describing the climate change alarmist agenda as a marketing scheme. Putin has not bought into the madness of crowds to the benefit of Russia.
Perhaps the most curious cavern between the United States and Russia is their approach to religion. The church was effectively shut down during the Soviet experiment. However, in the last few decades, the Russian Orthodox Church has roared back to favor in Russian government opinion. President Putin has even felt emboldened enough to accuse the West of being morally decadent. The Democratic Party in the United States has largely morphed into an atheistic, anything goes, hedonist entity. One only has to look at the refusal of the Obama administration to enforce marijuana laws in America to find evidence of this fact.
I recently had a conversation with a young urban professional in Moscow. Their comment to me was that most young Russians were embarrassed of the communist revolution in Russia. “They killed our best people,” this person commented. I find it curious that the Rolling Stone recently published an article extolling the benefits of the teachings of Karl Marx and echoing the mindset of many of the current millennial generation in America. When the youth of American are yearning for communism, I fear America must relearn the very harsh lessons of the past. If Russia can ever deal with the specter of corruption, her society may leap to the future.
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Good article. Russia and DC US--just different flavors of "extract and control."
On this, "The American position seems to consist of avoiding conflict and appeasing adversaries rather than standing up for historical American values, our allies, and our way of life," I would say that it's time to update that old maxim, "If I owe you a $1,000, that's my problem. If I owe you a billion dollars, that's your problem." To, "If I owe you billions of dollars and you can dump my debt and wipe out any and all power I have, that's my problem."
"I spell guillotine A-R-T-I-C-L-E-3, S-E-C-T-I-O-N-3"
Russia is not an eastern America, it's history is vastly different and more long standing than the USA. There are similarities as to being big and having expanding east in Russia, west in the USA. Strong government is a hallmark of Russia, strong leaders are also a hallmark, and as history shows, a necessity at most times. One thing Americans don't understand is that while America had a class of slaves, the blacks, and us whites who owned said blacks as cheap labor, and as damn good fighting bucks for our entertainment, nowadays we have them play football and basketball to entertain us. Russia had a vast share of it's population as complete slaves themselves, though white, slavery, in the form of serfdom, was the standard across much of Russia. How this slavery developed in a long story, but much of Russian population were in fact slaves, they could even be bought and sold, and given any number of tortures for bad behavior. Though serfdom was done away with in the 1860's like in the USA, it still haunts the civilization. 75 years of soviet slavery has not helped. Russia is a nation that has no record of people being free, and the freedom of today is pretty amazing by historical standards. The average Russian likes a firm hand in the leadership role, they like stability in domestic affairs, even if it may be corrupt to a degree, they are highly nationalistic. I have been to the USSR and modern Russia more than a few times. If you want to die, you need only bad mouth Russia in ear shot of anyone other than a close friend you trust. The American experience is very much different, in fact, todays America is totaliterian and growing worse every time we elect a new hope and change president, imagine what Jeb Bush has planned, or that dirty Clinton Bitch. While Russia is not a totally free state, the people are very used to it and accept it if the peace is maintained, the nation is defended, and honor of the Russian nation is upheld. In America, we are number 1 and are fighting to prove it. Russian don't need to be number 1, they need to be secure and free enough to support their families. I read any number of American conservatives who hate big government but love big corporate power, big war machines, big spy machines and throwing our weight around.
As for Putin, I rank him as a near ideal leader for Russia in 2014, given her history and culture, Putin fits the bill, and the church loves the guy. Obama is a corporate hack and a war monger, but then what was Bush, a corporate hack, a proven war criminal and many other things. Conservatives loved him because he said what they wanted to hear, but if you can be seduced so easily by a liar like Bush and his soon to be president Jeb Bush, I have trouble accepting what conservative means. Is fascism and corporate dictatorship conservative? In American history, is that conservative. Really? I think Ron Paul is a conservative, and I accept most of his take on what American conservatism should be, it is not the Bush/FOX news conservative we hear so much from on these comment sections.
Serfdom was done away with in the USA in the 1860s?
Really?
I'd say it was given a paint job, some new screen doors, and massively expanded. Chattel slavery was replaced by wage slavery and things have deteriorated ever since. At least when owners bought and owned slaves directly, said owners had a vested interest in keeping them happy, healthy and productive. With wage slavery, everyone is rented, and no such vested interest exists. Rented wage slaves are discarded like yesterdays trash. Chattel slaves were largely treated as valued assets. Don't even get me started on the draft (real serfdom) which was institutionalized in the 1860s.
I'm guessing you could go off on quite a rant.
Frustrating world we live in, wouldn't you say?
Now, we are interest rate slaves :/
I was seeing double, now tripple. Time to go to bed.
Now, we are interest rate slaves :/
Now, we are interest rate slaves :/
Countries are fictions that divide people.
If I don't hurt you and you don't hurt me then all's good.
If you look closely, you wlll see that the people who do the most harm are the ones that claim to be there to take care of us.
You know of whom I speak (type).
Jack Burton Spasiba for most clear and knowledgable post.
You have better understanding than most.
Well said. You clearly understand Russians and their history.
Very Good Post as it concerns Russia. "Putin is the right guy. He's the best they've had in their history. His industrial structure could take a few lessons as we all could from Deng Xiaoping on how to get an economy going. But Deng just copied his format from W. Edwards Deming when he followed MacAuthor's instructions and taught the Japanese Horizontal Industrial structuring, copied by the S. Koreans and copied by the Chinese Premier Deng who was a Deming advocate. He'll get there.
Russia has more precious resources than anywhere on Earth yet discovered Yamal Nenets is an incredible trove of riches. In the early eighties it was very much like a lawless western frontier town. It may still in some respects be. Russia like India and China has one lurking enemy, Sunni Muslim Terror.
Russia is the enemy of Sunni wahhabi Saudi-backed terrorist because Russia is still acting in a decent Christian manner.
Had Russia just simply went all-in and nuked Afganistan and Chechen rebels, the sunni danger would be over. But Russia acted decently. The soviets actually built more roads in Afganistan than the united stateans. And schools and hodpitals.
mothers get $200 a month for 2 years.
And, basically russians will be in a better position after the collapse than people in america, as they are already living as future amerians will live.
Plus in russia, free healthcare, no property tax, basically almost free heat and hot water, 13% income tax if you pay any, low sales tax, so lower wages are actually worth more
I don't like when journalists or wannabe journalists write stories and the talk through their asses. they don't really know squat
mothers get $200 a month for 2 years.
And, basically russians will be in a better position after the collapse than people in america, as they are already living as future amerians will live.
Plus in russia, free healthcare, no property tax, basically almost free heat and hot water, 13% income tax if you pay any, low sales tax, so lower wages are actually worth more
I don't like when journalists or wannabe journalists write stories and the talk through their asses. they don't really know squat
Sign me up!
"If Russia can ever deal with the specter of corruption, her society may leap to the future."
Most Russians are dirt poor and live in terrible circumstances. Diseases like HIV and resistant TBC are rampant. Many Russians only live to 50 because of alcoholism. Drugs like Krokodil are killing 1000's. Almost no scientific programs left, no production of anything of any degree of quality.
Corruption? That means that officials take bribes. Russia is way beyond that. Russia is a country ruled by a fascist class, they are in total power. You're in their group or you're out. Thgey take no bribes, they don't have to.
Check the Putin Jugend, 10.000's of young fascists marching for their leader and - using violence if needed - making sure that any dissidents will be silenced.
Russia has no future.
Did not Russia just arrive at third in world in attracting outside investment? Up from 16th prior year?
I think I read that.
I presented a lecture tour in southern Russia about 2 years ago and had one memory that illustrates the bright, good and confusingly conflictive Russian culture. In the city of Pettigorsk in southern Russia their airport in an effort to promote their city as a resort city, did several unusal things. First at the airport the fueling, landing direction, and mechanical crew that normally comes out to service a plane when it lands was populated exclusively with very young, about 18 to 25 year old stunning runway model beauties, standing at attention in coveralls for a short time for passinger viewing. Then they would service the plane. Strangely once off the plane the airport building forbid photographs for security reasons. Such strange imbalances of policies and human resources has been common in my travels there. This articles author is correct that if Russia could get corruption under control Russia could really grow economically.
"Then they would service the plane."
Any chance they'd service the passengers?
He didn't mention what sex they were ;-)
They were female. They had no purient appearance unless air mechanic coveralls excite you. Very very naturally attractive though.
I think Putin is necessary for Russia - especially if it is going to be able to resist the anglo-american oligarchs. While I dont agree with an autocratic system, we are a long way from being able to implement a proper decentralized system - so long as it is relatively benevolent, then a strong central leadership can be tolerated.
The focus on personal responsibility in Russia is far more beneficial to the Russian people then the state induced dependence in the USA that is destroying the ability of the American people to take care of themselves, and by extension their communities and families.
A true distributed system of human co-operation is technically possible, and we also have the philosophical constructs to support it - unfortunately we are a long way from people knowing and understanding the benefits of liberty.
EDIT: I would also like to comment on the religious aspect, from the point of view of an atheist (actually agnostic, I dont believe in any personal god).
Religion is necessary and fundamental to a society and culture - and provides a philosophy of ethics that is reinforced by traditions, symbols, ceremonies and especially myths and legends that provide a narrative that connects past, present and future. The problem with religions are that they do not do this CONSCIOUSLY - that is they do not consider what the ethical philosophy is - they just follow from the past, in many cases the ethical philosophy is unethical, and contradicts the natural law. If a new religion came into being, or an older religion reinvented itself and based its ethical philospohy purely on natural law, compassion and expansion of knowledge - then I would drop my adverserial position to religion. It can be noted that this description best suits the philosophy of science - which modern science has seemed to abandon in favor of the dogmatic practices of religion which focus on the substance, rather than the process.
Submitted by L. Todd Wood, a former special operations helicopter pilot and bond trader...
Dude, nice resume, but really, you equate not enforcing marijuana laws with a loss
of morality????
I think you better read a couple more libertarian tracts, need to catch up
with the word freedom...see Jefferson for help...
wow, todd, that was some "special operation"...
lt
" If Russia could remove her corrupt barriers to entry, her economy would explode higher. "
Unlike ofcourse the MODEL OF TRANSPARENCY of the USA USA, and all her Satelite States (NATO Subjects ...errrrr Partners)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You owe me a keyboard Mr Todd.
Russian corruption?I don't think it's any different in Washington.Failure to enforce marijuana laws?What kind of quackery does this person preach?Just lock-up all the pot smokers so all the cops,judges and politicians can get their dividends from the private jail system,right? Law enforcement has a lot better things to do than to be busting pot smokers,but then again,it's OK for the greaseball generation to be promoting alcohol.Talk to any cop about family violence.It's always booze giving the police a hard time.Same goes for drunks driving and mindless accidents caused by booze-hounds.
Quitting a job I hated in my 20's, boring long hours, too much travelling but good pay in CNC machne tools, at the time, I realised I make two mistakes. One was taking an enigineering degree and the second was working for someone else.
I rectified that, and took up travel. not in the US but overseas. and I soon learned something.
Tourists never ever get bothered by governments.
They never ask tourists to fill in forms, file tax retirns or do any any of that shit.
My business is registered in the remotest part of the world, there are no offices there no buildings to speak of and no one goes there.
Its perfect.
And I stay an all year round tourist, I am a tourist in the US or anywhere I want to go, I can run my business online from wherever I am just as easy as working in any other office.
I have staff, they work in the Philippines, I have a secretary, she works in the UK but for an off shore company to the UK, I dont pay her a salary, I advance her a loan every month, she never pays taxes, I dont own any property in the US, I rent it as a holiday let from my own company and rarely stay for more than a couple of months at a time before moving to another house, also owned by the company. i stay in hotels for 8 or 10 weeks a year mostly because I travel a lot.
Bit 365 days a year, no matter whwre I am, I am officially on vacation. and I am a tourist, and no one ever ever bothers any tourist on vacation.
It is not difficult to do if you have a portable business, If you can off shore it, and make sure the income goes offshore, and that you make sure there are no direct links to you you can do it.
I only to need to make $40 to be as well off net as anyone slaving in NYC for $100.
It doent take a geniou to figure out that ny entire cost of living is just 40% of a NYC or Cal resident,
That difference buys me my freedom, That difference enables me to get rich far quicker than anyone earning the same in a job or as a slave.
It does not matter what the crud in congress or the kenyan monkey wants, it will never have a bearing on me. They don't know I exist and the only bureaucracy I have met in now clearing 30 years is passing through airport check ins.
I never pay taxes ever, anywhere, I have no assets linked to my name anywhere,
Be a tourist and keep all your assets owned by off shore companies. No matter what it is, cars houses, everything. Be a permanent tourist and smell freedom. And get rich
You think you've nailed it but you are wrong.
It's very easy to change your status from tourist to terrorist if you piss someone from the higher echelons.
But you do not realize is that you are falling into the trap that the powers that be are setting up for everyone.
They want to kill the concept of property. That's why they enforce high taxes to steer people away from owning to renting.
Then also they steer people into being a "global citizen" more or less like you describe yourself, so as to destroy civic and national cohesion.
If everyone would be like you there would be no nation, no national adherence to a set of ideals, so it would be very easy to control people.
You might have your HQ somewhere in a remote peak on the Andes or mount Kilimanjaro, but you use money to trade. You could use gold.
But if TPTB control money and gold (which they do) you will have to do business on their terms.
The solution is not to runaway, but fight the system by awakening people in your local community and creating a strong united group.
You are enjoying some form of freedom now, but only in the boundaries of the system they control. When the majority of the sheeple will be tagged, chipped and corraled, global citizens like you will be next.