Questions For Our Russian Friends

[palo5]

Originally Posted by Mosco Vito

Russian society is highly fragmented in cultural, social and economic terms. Almost all of Russia does not like the residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Inhabitants of both capitals often are arrogant and apprehension to provincials

I agree, mostly

It's not that we dislike Moscovites & Leningraders, but we sometimes get hmmm-moments when they say things like "well, that's just your Siberian folk stories"

It's no different in other countries. People from big population centers often joke about outsiders

A Russian person can sometimes understand a Ukrainian, but Georgian and Uzbek languages do not look like Russian.

Ukrainian is half-understandable, but you have to guess a lot. Speakers of Central-Asian & other languages can be difficult to work with, even if you have the same aim and the same good will

[Mosco Vito]

Originally Posted by palo5

I agree, mostly

It's not that we dislike Moscovites & Leningraders, but we sometimes get hmmm-moments when they say things like "well, that's just your Siberian folk stories"

It's no different in other countries. People from big population centers often joke about outsiders

Ukrainian is half-understandable, but you have to guess a lot. Speakers of Central-Asian & other languages can be difficult to work with, even if you have the same aim and the same good will

I believe that the discontent of the Muscovites has a social character. In postsoviet Russia is not what it was during USSR: economic stability, when every citizen was guaranteed a job, education, medical service and resort recreation. Now this is not the case and the Central government is taking away all revenues from the regions to distribute money at its own discretion. Financial assets are concentrated in Moscow and in the capital are more opportunities for earnings. Strong economic inequality leads to mutual dislike between regions, which also generates negative stereotypes: Muscovites are arrogant and sybaritic; Siberians are cruel because they are descendants of convicts; Kuban' residents are cunning and greedy etc.


There is another version of Ukrainian language as surzhik. It is more understandable because in many ways it consists of Russian.

[Roubignol]

It seems that your country became very liberal on several points.

I read that the tax on the income is of 13% (that is EXTREMELY cheap).
That's why Gerard Depardieu went to Russia instead to pay his taxes in France.

Your pension system almost look like the Swiss one.

What remained from the Communism? Absolutely nothing or do you have more local taxes than national ones?

Originally Posted by palo5

It's no different in other countries. People from big population centers often joke about outsiders

It always was a ressentment between the citizen and the Countryman.

Because in all the countries citizens don't want to pay correctly the farmers who bring them the food in their plates. In not paying them correctly, they push children of farmers to go to the city to find a sexier job that is often better paid, but that is often... useless.

Born in the Swiss countryside, I often listened to farmers unhappy to see the laws of the market ruling their life and jobs.
Laws written by people who never worked in a farm, but only read reports and took decisions.

[Mosco Vito]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

It seems that your country became very liberal on several points.

I read that the tax on the income is of 13% (that is EXTREMELY cheap).
That's why Gerard Depardieu went to Russia instead to pay his taxes in France.

Your pension system almost look like the Swiss one.

What remained from the Communism? Absolutely nothing or do you have more local taxes than national ones?


It always was a ressentment between the citizen and the Countryman.

Because in all the countries citizens don't want to pay correctly the farmers who bring them the food in their plates. In not paying them correctly, they push children of farmers to go to the city to find a sexier job that is often better paid, but that is often... useless.

Born in the Swiss countryside, I often listened to farmers unhappy to see the laws of the market ruling their life and jobs.
Laws written by people who never worked in a farm, but only read reports and took decisions.

Yes, the income tax is actually 13 percent. But the problem is that most Russians have very little income (especially in rural areas). And for them, 13 percent is a sizable amount. And in Russia are very high communal payments. Yes, the tax system left over from the communism, but was cancelled (even in the Soviet era) tax paid childless. I didn't hear that there were local taxes in Russia.


Russian farmers also have many problems. Very often they are forced to trade semi-legally or to buy this right from the police or local authorities. I live in Moscow and quality products (meat, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream) can mainly be bought only from them, not in supermarkets. The owners of large retail markets are trying to destroy the business of small farmers ' shops.

[Nobody1]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

It always was a ressentment between the citizen and the Countryman.

Because in all the countries citizens don't want to pay correctly the farmers who bring them the food in their plates.

Before or after subsidization?

Originally Posted by xyzde69

Born in the Swiss countryside, I often listened to farmers unhappy to see the laws of the market ruling their life and jobs.
Laws written by people who never worked in a farm, but only read reports and took decisions.

I do not know what it is like in Russia or Switzerland, but the main difference here in Germany is that the rural population tends to have more conservative views, while our urban population thinks in a more progressive way. An in-depth explanation for this social phenomenon can be found in Marx's theory of alienation.

The overwhelming majority of our youth seeks a more progressive thinking environment during their idealistic 'Sturm und Drang' period. An environment that reflects their own political views accordingly. That is a not to be underestimated psychological factor in the permanent rural exodus.

Btw, a little piece of advice for all hobby Marx critics. Before anyone here feels tempted to reflect private opinions of third parties on Marx, I would advise him to get somewhat familiar with his work himself. Enlightenment is always man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.

[haroldeye]

Enlightenment is always man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.

I couldn't agree more Nobody1!

[Roubignol]

How popular are your oligarchs?
Are they as popular as Rockfeller in the USA or do the people dislike them?

Do you look at greed as a good thing like capitalist people following the Adam Smith's concept or is it still not virtuous?

[Mosco Vito]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

How popular are your oligarchs?
Are they as popular as Rockfeller in the USA or do the people dislike them?

Do you look at greed as a good thing like capitalist people following the Adam Smith's concept or is it still not virtuous?

No, the oligarchs are not popular in Russia. And this is logical. In Russia, a lot of problems, people often have to simply survive. What emotions can cause oligarchs in people who can not afford to buy normal food, forced to save on everything to pay bills for utilities? Only negative. Often in the Russian media, you can see an ad asking for help from a simple family that can not pay for the treatment of a child: and next to this announcement, the news about the purchase by the russian oligarch of a luxurious villa, a luxury car, a football club. But there is a well-founded opinion that in fact there are no oligarchs in Russia. People who are called oligarchs are the guardians of the capital of various groups (financial, criminal, regional) or major politicians. Such guardians of the capital are called by the term "wallet".
　
I am negative about greed, because the pursuit of profit creates misfortune. For the sake of buying luxurious things, some people plunge others into the abyss of distress, destroy nature. For what? In order to buy a house with fifty rooms and a golden bath? But I realize greed is not the only thing that makes life worse. There is still fanaticism, uncontrolled reproduction, hatred.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

How popular are your oligarchs?
Are they as popular as Rockfeller in the USA or do the people dislike them?

Do you look at greed as a good thing like capitalist people following the Adam Smith's concept or is it still not virtuous?

The Rockefellers, Morgans, and du Ponts aren't necessarily popular with the common folk, but their ancestors' crimes are in the past.

It is only stupid people who applaud criminals like Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Wilbur Ross, and Andrew Puzder. Like all countries, we have an abundance of stupid people in the United States and we encourage them to vote. It does not seem to matter what form of government is in place. Altruists rarely run things. Killers, crooks and liars do

Rumors are that the Roman curia is planning to murder Pope Francis.

[sobaka]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

How popular are your oligarchs?
Are they as popular as Rockfeller in the USA or do the people dislike them?

Do you look at greed as a good thing like capitalist people following the Adam Smith's concept or is it still not virtuous?

The day of the wild oligarchs is long over. When they thought that economic power would translate into political power they were castrated. A few moved abroad, a few to Chukota and other near abroad exiles and were allowed to keep their wealth as long as they did the regimes bidding. Now monetary wealth flows from political favor, so you have multi-millionaire violinists (ie cut-outs who hold the politicians fortunes).