Amazing to learn about all these infrastructure projects occurring everywhere in Russia. It's like the US experience after the war with interstate highway development. But Russia's scale is way beyond what our country experienced.
From reading about Putin's trips around the country and discussions with local officials I get a real sense of the social dynamism that is happening. As you say, both a top down and bottom up conversation that is linking all parties in common purpose. The dynamism must be awesome on the ground, everybody puling together, developing new competencies, the ridding of sloth from the society, rooting out inefficiencies and the like. The place must be buzzing.
Sadly, so few Americans are aware of the positive experience Russia is going through due to our legacy media burying the story. So many friends and acquaintances who are stuck in old mindsets about what Russia must be like. They simply don't avail themselves of information that you and others are providing, Karl. And perhaps they are comforted by having an adversary that they can put down as unaccomplished.
For me, I get a thrill seeing what Russia is up to. I don't care that it isn't my culture that is experiencing an upwelling. More kudos to them for putting all the pieces together in their cultural flowering. The fact that somebody, somewhere is finding such positive development gives me a hope for humanity, because we and the US and experiencing the antithesis of that.
After the first 40 pages it's becomes very easy to see the main point of the thesis and its correctness. Having learned what that is will allow you to understand the secret to Russia's dynamic and the ability of its society to have endured so much. As you're seeing from these documents, Russians have a freedom we lack--that not even the filthy rich have as it can't be bought, only given. Yes, the book's a bit of a tome at 525 pages and reminds me I was smart to minor in Anthropology as a complement to my History major.
The scope of development that your posts have been detailing is astounding. I can’t help but notice that a lot of the discussion centers around Crimea and that region. That should give everyone a look not what Russia’s plans are for the current conflict.
Of course, the focus on that region is because that was the region focused on. There was a telling stat in the discussion where a land analysis "found thousands of hectares of unused land" available for all sorts of development. Few nations have the amount of good land available for development that Russia has. Recall the meeting with the Ag people--Russia has the land to double its cereal exports without including the liberated regions.
I've wanted to write this for awhile and have held back: If the USSR post-Stalin had a manager of Putin's caliber and a team similar to what he now has to support him focused on the type of development that's now being done, the USSR would still be alive, very prosperous and without the demographic crisis it now faces. It can also be said that for a Putin and his team to emerge, the USSR had to die, but why the tens of millions that were also killed off makes me reject that POV.
China's developmental dynamism was and remains quite an achievement. Russia's right behind and will catch its partner. I expect other nations that adopt the People Centered Development philosophy will also prosper similarly.
For long distance bulk cargo transport waterways and railways. For long distance human transport highspeed rail although very expensive because of the physical barriers required to protect the trans against wildlife. Right of way in Russia might be a lot easier. Per unit distance rail will always be cheaper, short of much slower water transport.
Given that Russia is an expanding economy in charge of its own destiny I would choose those options with roads first as a method for getting to transportation hubs. Eisenhower, in the thirties, conceived of the Interstate Highway system in part for troop transport and military logistics. Russia has so much more land that transportation will take many, incremental investments in the public infrastructure. I am not fond of the toll roads as a mechanism in the US for expanding roadways, bridges and tunnels. They constitute regressive taxation. Not an item for DNC interest. I still remember Senator Moynihan proudly declaring that the NY Thruway System would be free by 1994. I did not believe him then, either.
We have a few bridges that financed their bonds via tolls that are now free, but your point is well made. The big argument over federal financing of the first interstate road--the Cumberland Pike--foreshadowed a lot. Russia's lack of road net results from lack of infrastructure investment beginning with the Tsars; same with railroads. Water transport was key just as it was for the nascent North American Colonies then states, but that disappeared when one reached the Great American Desert that began at the 100th meridian. I've driven most of the interstates and love the geology I get to see. I hope to do some more.
Amazing to learn about all these infrastructure projects occurring everywhere in Russia. It's like the US experience after the war with interstate highway development. But Russia's scale is way beyond what our country experienced.
From reading about Putin's trips around the country and discussions with local officials I get a real sense of the social dynamism that is happening. As you say, both a top down and bottom up conversation that is linking all parties in common purpose. The dynamism must be awesome on the ground, everybody puling together, developing new competencies, the ridding of sloth from the society, rooting out inefficiencies and the like. The place must be buzzing.
Sadly, so few Americans are aware of the positive experience Russia is going through due to our legacy media burying the story. So many friends and acquaintances who are stuck in old mindsets about what Russia must be like. They simply don't avail themselves of information that you and others are providing, Karl. And perhaps they are comforted by having an adversary that they can put down as unaccomplished.
For me, I get a thrill seeing what Russia is up to. I don't care that it isn't my culture that is experiencing an upwelling. More kudos to them for putting all the pieces together in their cultural flowering. The fact that somebody, somewhere is finding such positive development gives me a hope for humanity, because we and the US and experiencing the antithesis of that.
I agree 100%. The main point is there're different ways, not Thatcher's TINA. Perhaps you have this book, "The Dawn of Everything" by Graeber and Wengrow, which I just discovered can be freely downloaded here, https://archive.org/details/graeber-wengrow-dawn/David%20Graeber%2C%20David%20Wengrow%20-%20The%20Dawn%20of%20Everything_%20A%20New%20History%20of%20Humanity-Farrar%2C%20Straus%20and%20Giroux%20%282021%29/
After the first 40 pages it's becomes very easy to see the main point of the thesis and its correctness. Having learned what that is will allow you to understand the secret to Russia's dynamic and the ability of its society to have endured so much. As you're seeing from these documents, Russians have a freedom we lack--that not even the filthy rich have as it can't be bought, only given. Yes, the book's a bit of a tome at 525 pages and reminds me I was smart to minor in Anthropology as a complement to my History major.
The scope of development that your posts have been detailing is astounding. I can’t help but notice that a lot of the discussion centers around Crimea and that region. That should give everyone a look not what Russia’s plans are for the current conflict.
Of course, the focus on that region is because that was the region focused on. There was a telling stat in the discussion where a land analysis "found thousands of hectares of unused land" available for all sorts of development. Few nations have the amount of good land available for development that Russia has. Recall the meeting with the Ag people--Russia has the land to double its cereal exports without including the liberated regions.
I've wanted to write this for awhile and have held back: If the USSR post-Stalin had a manager of Putin's caliber and a team similar to what he now has to support him focused on the type of development that's now being done, the USSR would still be alive, very prosperous and without the demographic crisis it now faces. It can also be said that for a Putin and his team to emerge, the USSR had to die, but why the tens of millions that were also killed off makes me reject that POV.
China's developmental dynamism was and remains quite an achievement. Russia's right behind and will catch its partner. I expect other nations that adopt the People Centered Development philosophy will also prosper similarly.
For long distance bulk cargo transport waterways and railways. For long distance human transport highspeed rail although very expensive because of the physical barriers required to protect the trans against wildlife. Right of way in Russia might be a lot easier. Per unit distance rail will always be cheaper, short of much slower water transport.
Given that Russia is an expanding economy in charge of its own destiny I would choose those options with roads first as a method for getting to transportation hubs. Eisenhower, in the thirties, conceived of the Interstate Highway system in part for troop transport and military logistics. Russia has so much more land that transportation will take many, incremental investments in the public infrastructure. I am not fond of the toll roads as a mechanism in the US for expanding roadways, bridges and tunnels. They constitute regressive taxation. Not an item for DNC interest. I still remember Senator Moynihan proudly declaring that the NY Thruway System would be free by 1994. I did not believe him then, either.
We have a few bridges that financed their bonds via tolls that are now free, but your point is well made. The big argument over federal financing of the first interstate road--the Cumberland Pike--foreshadowed a lot. Russia's lack of road net results from lack of infrastructure investment beginning with the Tsars; same with railroads. Water transport was key just as it was for the nascent North American Colonies then states, but that disappeared when one reached the Great American Desert that began at the 100th meridian. I've driven most of the interstates and love the geology I get to see. I hope to do some more.