Is Russia Still Socialist?

[Truthseeker]

Putin is a fascist, not Marxist nor socialist, as all the power is being held by one man who is not using a socialist model but hoarding a great deal of the money all the power for himself and his cronies.

All the power is for himself. The others can keep their money if they toe the line. I couldn't care less about the classification, socialist or fascist.

 

[Estro Felino]

However, Putin should not control all that money and give so much to himself. There is little benefit from such a state as this.

It is the Treasury that administrates all that money.
Not Putin.

 

[Truthseeker]

It is the Treasury that administrates all that money.
Not Putin.

No one really knows how much he has. It is a state secret. It has been estimated by some he is the richest person in the world. He's a corrupt leader, and like a lot of corrupt leaders he takes money for himself, I believe, and tries to keep this secret. I see estimates online of $70 billion and $200 billion. Take a look yourself.

 

[Revoltingest]

The sanctions of billionaires in Russia will have no effect.

Aye, it won't be the kind of direct governmental pressure
envisioned by people who mistake them for actual oligarchs.
But it will be the same kind of pressure that general economic
sanctions have. And we could expect that Russia's billionaires
will have a wee bit more influence upon the Kremlin than would
the slobbering masses.

 

[Truthseeker]

Aye, it won't be the kind of direct governmental pressure
envisioned by people who mistake them for actual oligarchs.
But it will be the same kind of pressure that general economic
sanctions have. And we could expect that Russia's billionaires
will have a wee bit more influence upon the Kremlin than would
the slobbering masses.

I have my doubts about what is happening to the Russian people with these sanctions. How much responsibility do they have? Putin got voted in and he has some popularity there, but there is a lot of propaganda there, though they bear some responsibility for their attitude about this war, in my opinion. His popularity went up to 83% by the end of March, up 12% from February, by a pollster considered independent of the Kremlin, or at least relatively so.

How much pressure do these sanctions on the Russian people put on Putin? Does it affect his popularity much? If it did, would he allow anyone to be elected in his place? Look what he has done to people who have opposed him, like Navalny. Could sanctions have the effect in the end of making Putin even more the dictator and repress people? How popular were the communists, yet they maintained power for so long. Communism appeared to end in Russia because Gorbachev tried to have communism without the repression. This is all speculation on my part of course.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I have my doubts about what is happening to the Russian people with these sanctions. How much responsibility do they have? Putin got voted in and he has some popularity there, but there is a lot of propaganda there, though they bear some responsibility for their attitude about this war, in my opinion.

How much pressure do these sanctions on the Russian people put on Putin? Does it affect his popularity much? If it did, would he allow anyone to be elected in his place? Look what he has done to people who have opposed him, like Navalny. Could sanctions have the effect in the end of making Putin even more the dictator and repress people? How popular were the communists, yet they maintained power for so long. Communism appeared to end in Russia because Gorbachev tried to have communism without the repression. This is all speculation on my part of course.

It wasn't a free election. Putin uses repression.

 

[Truthseeker]

It wasn't a free election. Putin uses repression.

I edited my post above and there is a relatively independent pollster apparently that found that as of the end of March Putin had 83% approval ratings, up 12% from February. Though he doesn't have fair elections, either. He gets rid of opponents, for one thing. I don't know about the vote counting. He would alter the vote counting if necessary, I'm sure.

This is all my opinion, of course.

 

[Revoltingest]

I have my doubts about what is happening to the Russian people with these sanctions. How much responsibility do they have? Putin got voted in and he has some popularity there, but there is a lot of propaganda there, though they bear some responsibility for their attitude about this war, in my opinion. His popularity went up to 83% by the end of March, up 12% from February, by a pollster considered independent of the Kremlin, or at least relatively so.

How much pressure do these sanctions on the Russian people put on Putin? Does it affect his popularity much? If it did, would he allow anyone to be elected in his place? Look what he has done to people who have opposed him, like Navalny. Could sanctions have the effect in the end of making Putin even more the dictator and repress people? How popular were the communists, yet they maintained power for so long. Communism appeared to end in Russia because Gorbachev tried to have communism without the repression. This is all speculation on my part of course.

It's not all that fair, but ultimately the Russian
people are responsible...liable for what their
government does.
I hope sanctions have a positive rather than a
negative effect. I judge them to be the right thing
to do. But reality is complex, & doesn't always
behave as intended. Ideally, their suffering will
make Russia behave bettter.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I edited my post above and there is a relatively independent pollster apparently that found that as of the end of March Putin had 83% approval ratings, up 12% from February. Though he doesn't have fair elections, either. He gets rid of opponents, for one thing. I don't know about the vote counting. He would alter the vote counting if necessary, I'm sure.

This is all my opinion, of course.

That 83% is suspicious, because of the state of lack of free speech and the fear of saying the wrong thing.

 

[metis]

It is the Treasury that administrates all that money.
Not Putin.

Oh, I wouldn't be big money on that if I was you as we well know Putin has his connections there as well, which is believed by some following this why Trump went to get his loans from Deutsche Bank (German), which Putin also has his hands in and which was heavily fined [several hundred million dollars] two years ago for money laundering.

 

[Truthseeker]

Ideally, their suffering will
make Russia behave bettter.

Putin doesn't care how much they suffer. He's a sociopath, in my opinion. And popular. 83% approval rating at the end of March. It would take years maybe for this to take effect. In the meantime, how much suffering for Ukraine and Russian people both? What went wrong is that we didn't find a way to have a permanent structure in place to deal with situations like this, and not deal piecemeal with every crisis and on a temporary basis to boot. A situation like this is the result.

 

[Truthseeker]

That 83% is suspicious, because of the state of lack of free speech and the fear of saying the wrong thing.

How do you know that this was said out in the open? Polling in my experience doesn't work like that.

 

[Revoltingest]

Putin doesn't care how much they suffer. He's a sociopath, in my opinion. And popular. 83% approval rating at the end of March. It would take years maybe for this to take effect. In the meantime, how much suffering for Ukraine and Russian people both? What went wrong is that we didn't find a way to have a permanent structure in place to deal with situations like this, and not deal piecemeal with every crisis and on a temporary basis to boot. A situation like this is the result.

I still think that the sanctions will increase
pressure to replace Putin, or end the war.

 

[Truthseeker]

I still think that the sanctions will increase
pressure to replace Putin, or end the war.

Okay, fine. I'm not really an expert on this anyway. I also have a bad habit of posting here late at night when I'm getting tired and not thinking as clearly as I would earlier in the day. It was 2:01am here when I posted the above.

 

[Revoltingest]

Okay, fine. I'm not really an expert on this anyway. I also have a bad habit of posting here late at night when I'm getting tired and not thinking as clearly as I would earlier in the day. It was 2:01am here when I posted the above.

No worries.
We're all just opining.

 

[Truthseeker]

No worries.
We're all just opining.

Yes, I know. Just a friendly exchange. I like opining with you.

 

[JIMMY12345]

No worries.
We're all just opining.

Okay, fine. I'm not really an expert on this anyway. I also have a bad habit of posting here late at night when I'm getting tired and not thinking as clearly as I would earlier in the day. It was 2:01am here when I posted the above.
Why apologise ? Join the club.
I go for Socialist Dictatorship
Dictatorship coz you get arrested /shot /disappear if you disagree with the supreme Darth Vader Dictator.
Socialist coz some of the oil benefits flow to the people to keep them revolting.They want a house car and healthcare like the rest of us.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Yes, there is capitalism in Russia these days. But the Kremlin
still exercises control, albeit with a long leash. If any business
fails to behave as directed by government, that business can
be nationalized for immediate & direct control.

Russian Tycoon Criticized Putin’s War. Retribution Was Swift.
Excerpted....
Oleg Y. Tinkov was worth more than $9 billion in November, renowned as one of Russia’s few self-made business tycoons after building his fortune outside the energy and minerals industries that were the playgrounds of Russian kleptocracy.

Then, last month, Mr. Tinkov, the founder of one of Russia’s biggest banks, criticized the war in Ukraine in a post on Instagram. The next day, he said, President Vladimir V. Putin’s administration contacted his executives and threatened to nationalize his bank if it did not cut ties with him. Last week, he sold his 35 percent stake to a Russian mining billionaire in what he describes as a “desperate sale, a fire sale” that was forced on him by the Kremlin.

“I couldn’t discuss the price,” Mr. Tinkov said. “It was like a hostage — you take what you are offered. I couldn’t negotiate.”

Mr. Tinkov, 54, spoke to The New York Times by phone on Sunday, from a location he would not disclose, in his first interview since Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine. He said he had hired bodyguards after friends with contacts in the Russian security services told him he should fear for his life, and quipped that while he had survived leukemia, perhaps “the Kremlin will kill me.”

It was a swift and jarring turn of fortune for a longtime billionaire who for years had avoided running afoul of Mr. Putin while portraying himself as independent of the Kremlin. His downfall underscores the consequences facing those in the Russian elite who dare to cross their president, and helps explain why there has been little but silence from business leaders who, according to Mr. Tinkov, are worried about the impact of the war on their lifestyles and their wallets.

Russia is a Corruptocracy.

Essentially a capitalistic democracy where the top elite isn't bound by the rules of eiher the free market or fair elections. They are essentially above the law and happily do and take what they want and give nothing back.

In a way it's a bit like how the mafia operates.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

The Mafia differs in that they operate only
in segments of the economy.

Only because they couldn't get their own people into the other segments.

Putin has control over all of it.

Yes, he has people in all segments.
Imagine if Joe Bonano or Paul Castellano managed to get elected as US president and then replaced all key positions (generals, judges, etc) with his own guys.

Unimaginable in a secular democracy, sure.

But think about it. That's essentially what Russia is.

 

[metis]

Russia is a Corruptocracy.

Essentially a capitalistic democracy where the top elite isn't bound by the rules of eiher the free market or fair elections. They are essentially above the law and happily do and take what they want and give nothing back.

In a way it's a bit like how the mafia operates.

But it really is no longer a representative democracy because unfettered elections no longer are there for the top positions at least. Basically, it is now a fascist state under Putin and his cronies.