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Putin's Russia: Failing and Flailing

Filed under: Russia

russiaoil021408.gif

A recent report in the Energy Tribune shows, with the graphic above, that growth in Russia's energy sector is currently less than one third what it was five years ago, calling current growth levels "flat as Siberia." The article states: "Between 2005 and 2007, with the state controlling more than half of Russia's oil production (and with rapidly rising prices), production increases stagnated. Indeed, as the graph shows, between 2000 and 2004, production grew at an average of about 9 percent per year, while in the last three years the trend has been 2.5 percent per year." Basically, in a nutshell, what we are seeing in Russia is the return of communism/dictatorship and its predictable impact on productivity and efficiency.

The extent of Russia's barbaric return to dictatorship is quite horrifying. As an op-ed in the Moscow Times states: "Nothing seems to dampen the authorities' enthusiasm to wipe out any trace of [the Yukos oil major], which at one point was the country's largest and most transparent oil production company. More than 45 people connected to the company have been the target of legal action and the company's assets were expropriated. These actions against Yukos reveal a justice system that is infected with corruption and political bias. They have also demonstrated the complete breakdown of rule of law in Russia."

It's really breathtaking how we are seeing history repeat itself in Russia. It is as if the population has suddenly suffered a massive stroke of amnesia and no longer can recall what happened to the country over the course of the last three decades. And like the famous Emperor with his "new clothes," Russia now stands naked before the world, preening as if it were swathed in mink -- just as the USSR did not so very long ago.

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Comments


Vova says:

Kim, inasmuch as I agree with you, will you stop referring to the malignant little troll as a human being and his real estate as "Russia"--if John Doe has parasites in his alimentary tract, or helminth feeding on undigested fecal matter, this does not make the tape worm human.
The cataleptic bloody dwarf was having fits live ob nazi TV yesterday. The only thing he said I agree with is that to be the head of state you have to have a head--he was taking about Billary of course.


Vova says:

Follow-up. What the MLT wants from us is unilateral preemptive surrender, which in today's Amerika will be delivered, regardless of race or sex, by: Billary or Hussain Osama Barama. It spells "Unilateral preemptive surrender" whether you spell it in English, Russian, or Arabic


um says:

shouldn't you be happy that oil production is stagnating in Russia since you fear their use of energy as a geopolitical weapon?


La Russophobe says:

I'm not sure what contents of this post made you think I was sad to report this news, but it's definitely bittersweet. While it's true that it's an encouraging sign of our ability to defeat Russia in the new cold war it has initiated, it's also a sign that the people of Russia are headed for massive suffering. I'd rather see them happy and successful, both for their own good and that of the world.


Hummer H3 says:

Putin will be pleased! The oil production stagnated from 9,00 to 2,50 percent while the GDP growth remained at 8,10 percent in 2007.

The precious Russian gas an oil reserves will be saved beneath the vast Russian Empire for a long time and still Russias industrial and commercial sector skyrockets.


La Russophobe says:

HUMMER:

You ought to return the brain you bought at K-mart on the blue-light special. It's defective.

Russia's growth statistics are not subject to monitoring the way its oil production statistics are. What you are saying is that the Kremlin, run by a proud KGB spy, can be trusted not to lie about them. That's just plain stupid.

More important is the fact that Russia's growth is wholly dependent on the price of oil. The point of this post is that when that price recedes, Russia will need to make up the difference with production, and it can't. Your suggestion that it doesn't WANT more production is even more stupid than your first implication.

All through the Soviet era, propagandists like you spewed out nonsense of this kind about how great things were. They continued right up until the moment when the USSR collapsed and disappeared.

If Putin is pleased, he 's an even bigger fool than you are.


Hummer H3 says:

If the oil production statistics canīt be trusted, then why should the data from 2000 - 2005 be correct? Maybe itīs also falsified - and this means that there was no change in oil production and everything is still fine.

Maybe the russian population sunk to 10 million in 2007 and no one noticied it, because they trusted RosStat an repeated its words.

Counting the remains of the russian population would be a nice and productive task for you. Based on your data the CIA could update the "World Factbook". (esp. the per capita GDP)






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