Russian Railways (RZD) close to financial collapse

[doc7austin]

I regularly watch and read a lot on line about how Putin’s regime and the entire government apparatus are just on the verge of collapse - and have been for months.

Small correction: I have been hearing this line since 1999 - ever since Putin become head of the Russian government. Remember the banking crisis around that time ?

 

[The exile]

What is it about Russia that they can't seem to run the country as a stable democracy? It's big enough, it has enough natural resources...

It could be argued that it’s too big for any kind of “nation state” government as we understand it.
More pessimistically, we shouldn’t forget that “a stable democracy” is a very hard thing to maintain. There aren’t many countries that have managed a continuous century and I’m going to stick my neck out and say you can probably count on the fingers of one hand those that have managed two.

 

[35B]

I looked up the date Stalin came to power as 1941. If it was earlier, apologies. But I take your point about it going back a long way.

What is it about Russia that they can't seem to run the country as a stable democracy? It's big enough, it has enough natural resources...

You may want to read some proper (not Wiki or equivalent) history of Russia to get a better idea of how that question may be answered. Simon Sebag Montefiore's "The Romanovs" will give a good flavour of the 400-odd years before the 1917 Revolution, while there are many good books on the Russian Revolution and Soviet period. I find Robert Gellatly's "Lenin, Stalin & Hitler" quite good for drawing out the parallels in the dictatorship that emerged out of October 1917; plenty of other good writing is available.

 

[yorksrob]

The only good thing that can be said about Russia is that for a very brief period in the 20th century, it was the lesser of two evils.

Anything thing that makes it more difficult/expensive for their economy to operate is welcome.

 

[The exile]

The only good thing that can be said about Russia is that for a very brief period in the 20th century, it was the lesser of two evils.

Don’t think there was much in it, tbh. Systematic genocide (though not on quite such an industrial scale) was very much on Stalin’s agenda as well. Our different reactions says a lot about our respective expectations of Germany and Russia - as well as the effectiveness of wartime propaganda.

 

[yorksrob]

Don’t think there was much in it, tbh. Systematic genocide (though not on quite such an industrial scale) was very much on Stalin’s agenda as well. Our different reactions says a lot about our respective expectations of Germany and Russia - as well as the effectiveness of wartime propaganda.

We were in a spot of difficulty and Russia was on the right side (at that point in time - bearing in mind the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact earlier)

 

[35B]

We were in a spot of difficulty and Russia was on the right side (at that point in time - bearing in mind the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact earlier)

A couple of corrections. Firstly, it wasn't Russia but the USSR - an important distinction.

Second, "right side" is a stretch, more demonstrating the truth of the proposition that my enemy's enemy is my friend, so long as for "friend" you mean "fighting the same enemy, demanding all sorts of assistance but doing nothing in return and determined to destroy your real allies".

 

[yorksrob]

A couple of corrections. Firstly, it wasn't Russia but the USSR - an important distinction.

Second, "right side" is a stretch, more demonstrating the truth of the proposition that my enemy's enemy is my friend, so long as for "friend" you mean "fighting the same enemy, demanding all sorts of assistance but doing nothing in return and determined to destroy your real allies".

Russia was in the USSR at the time.

As I said, it was the lesser of two evil's.

I don't see the correction.

 

[35B]

Russia was in the USSR at the time.

As I said, it was the lesser of two evil's.

I don't see the correction.

The USSR was more than just Russia. We diminish the role of the subjects of non-Russian parts of the USSR (not least Ukraine and the Baltic states) who suffered and died in vast numbers if we restrict ourselves to calling our fighting partner "Russia".

 

[yorksrob]

The USSR was more than just Russia. We diminish the role of the subjects of non-Russian parts of the USSR (not least Ukraine and the Baltic states) who suffered and died in vast numbers if we restrict ourselves to calling our fighting partner "Russia".

And I have always been referencing Russia (as you will see if you read my posts).

 

[Segedunum]

I think we've veered well away from RZD here so we'll draw this one to a close for now. Of course, if there are developments, please let a member of forum staff know and we'll reopen the thread.