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...That's if you were born in a peaceful (civilized) country where you could receive medical care and undergo regular check-ups from birth until your last vaccination (state healthcare programs), where you were taught literacy (state education programs), where you could receive help in difficult times and during natural disasters (state social insurance programs)... where you were initially provided with normal conditions for human existence. But in a place like Burundi, the only use for hands might be something like this:
It's like if Aunt Masha had testicles, she would be Uncle Vasya. "It's better where we are not" - a favorite troll topic. In Detroit now, the probability of dying around the corner is many times higher than in Burundi behind a bush, regardless of what they taught you there and what sheets they put on the beds in the children's hospital.
rebellious
No comment :)
I meant, of course, that it's not 80% oil, as many might think at first glance. And that was the key point. I'm glad our pedant is always on guard, but it would be better if you wrote something substantial, instead of finding something to nitpick and being happy to insert your opinion. Now, please do it correctly - provide graphs for 2013, not only for tourism but also for the oil and gas sector, with a mandatory indication of the source of information.
However, all of humanity's historical experience shows that societal progress is almost never the result of a festive atmosphere and merriment (Greece and Spain have already had their fill of fun), but rather the result of a firm hand at the helm – a person who understands where they are leading the ship and makes others work.
As strange as it may seem, the result of such a firm hand's rule is usually the most terrible regression of society (Hussein, Gaddafi, Mubarak, to name a few recent examples).
And in Russia, Ukrainians are still considered their own, even despite all the conflicts and 20 years of independence. A common language greatly simplifies interaction.
There is an opinion that there are only two nations: the poor and the rich, and, of course, a very important buffer layer. Communication in society is all the easier the closer the upper and lower boundaries (stratification) are, and the larger the middle class. That is, communication is simplified by the close social status of the subjects. The rich will always understand the rich, and the poor are united in their struggle against the exploiter (there are sometimes exceptions, such as the "Tolstoyans," etc.).
Wicc, I am amazed — I always considered you a sensible person... I highly doubt your brain has been brainwashed by the "zombie box" [TV]; apparently, this is just trolling. Well then, let's go in order. Wicc
No. Destroying a bad barn does not mean building a new good one. Someone builds, someone doesn't, but in any case, after demolishing the old one, you have to freeze for a while.
Overthrowing a dictator does not mean destroying a barn at all — it means changing its owner. Wicc
The Bolsheviks, after 1917, did eventually build something; it took about 10 years to climb out of the hole, with the growth of well-being only starting somewhere towards the end of the 20s.
As far as we know, 1917 was not a peaceful popular protest, but an armed revolution and a real civil war. The goal of the Maidan is not that. Wicc
Putin & Co. also built something, and it also took about 10 years; steady growth began in the early 00s.
What steady growth are you talking about? More cars and higher salaries? That is not Putin's achievement; it is the achievement of oil prices. During the entire period of Putin's rule, oil prices increased by 10(!) times. With the money from its sale, Russia could have been turned into Kuwait. What did Putin do? He ruined the economy, almost completely hooking Russia on the oil needle. Exorbitant utility prices, an African level of corruption, Basmanny justice courts, repression, police brutality, and crushed small businesses. Do you turn a blind eye to all of this, focusing your attention on slightly increased salaries? I have to disappoint you — oil prices are falling now, Putin himself is talking about a crisis, so soon there won't be normal salaries either. Are you satisfied with such stability? Any competent economist, like Guriev, can explain everything said above to you. Wicc
...the result of a firm hand at the helm — a person who understands where he is leading the ship and makes others work.
Putin and Yanukovych don't give a damn where this ship is going. They use power exclusively for personal enrichment and to maintain that same power. Hence the mass protests. Wicc
That is your personal theory.
No, it is not my personal theory; it is the opinion of many political scientists, and in my view, quite obvious. Wicc
But sociology says otherwise — in any society at any time, there are always about ~5% chronic oppositionists who criticize any government, no matter what it is, ~5-10% absolutely loyal to any government, and the remaining main mass, essentially apolitical, but motivated by their stomach and wallet, therefore depending on circumstances they lean one way or the other.
Do you often hear about one and a half million protesters taking to the capital's square? We are not talking about some average country and the distribution of political sentiments in it. We are talking about a specific country — Ukraine, a country occupied by Putin. Protests are happening not only in Kyiv, but also in many other cities. This is a nationwide strike. Do you also consider the Battle of Kulikovo to be destroying a barn? Should all of Russia have continued to lick the Mongol-Tatars' ass and not make a move?
Strangely enough, the result of such an iron-fisted rule is usually a terrible regression of society (Hussein, Gaddafi, Mubarak from recent examples).
That option is also possible. An iron fist is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one.
By the way, you're wrong about Gaddafi - under him, Libya became a fairly prosperous state. His fault in the war starting is only partial, and in how it ended, there is no fault at all; the script was written outside of Libya.
My point is that progress in society from talk, entertainment, voting, and other Maidan-style movements happens at roughly the same pace as muscle growth from reading bodybuilding magazines. Development comes through exertion of effort, intensive work, restriction of pleasures, i.e., passing through the discomfort zone. Therefore, development requires will first and foremost, and in the case of a state, that is political will, meaning a leader who relies on supporters, crushes opponents, and forces everyone else to get moving.
So rehashing "how bad everyone is" is not constructive; the constructive answer is the question "what to do" and "who is good." That is, the path is not "from something," but "towards something."
There is an opinion that there are only two nations - the poor and the rich, and of course a very important buffer layer. Communication in society is easier the closer its upper and lower boundaries are (stratification) and the larger the middle class. That is, communication is simplified by the close social status of the subjects. The rich will always understand the rich, and the poor are united in the fight against the exploiter (sometimes there are exceptions, so-called "Tolstoyans," etc.).
I generally agree with this. It's just difficult to find a golden mean here - people are not equal in talents, hard work, and ambitions, so artificially averaging social status is also fraught with increased tension in society. The example is the same USSR.
Added after 48 minutes Ihtiandr
Wicc, I am shocked, I always considered you a sensible person... I highly doubt your brain is washed by the propaganda box, this is probably just trolling.
I am a sensible person :)
Overthrowing a dictator does not mean destroying the barn - it means changing its owner.
The goal is not the dictator/non-dictator, but the barn. Whoever can build it is good, regardless of their personal qualities and political views. Whoever cannot is not good, again regardless of them.
As far as we know, in 1917 there was not a peaceful popular protest, but an armed revolution and a real civil war. The goal of the Maidan was not this.
These are nuances of implementation, but the goal and meaning are the same - protest against the current government. Still, 1917 did not happen suddenly; it was preceded by many other protests, both peaceful and not.
I'm saying that the right protest leader is one who has a vision of the future state, a development program, some kind of ideology, a team of managers or the ability to create one, as well as decisiveness and purposefulness. The Bolsheviks had all of this, which is why Lenin is the right protest leader, as shown by the further course of events - they protested their way to the number 2 state in the world.
And the fact that a lot of wood was broken in the process is not so much their fault as it is objective social and economic laws - breaking a barn always leads to household inconveniences, and rapid restoration leads to strong tension on the body.
What stable growth are you talking about? There are more cars and salaries have risen? This is not Putin's merit, it is the merit of oil prices. During the entire reign of Putin, oil prices rose 10(!) times. With the money from its sale, Russia could have been turned into Kuwait. What did Putin do? He ruined the economy, almost completely hooking Russia on the oil needle. Exorbitant utility prices, African-level corruption, Basmanny courts, repression, police abuse, crushed small businesses. Are you closing your eyes to all this, focusing on slightly increased salaries? I have to disappoint you, now oil prices are falling, Putin himself is talking about a crisis, so soon there will be no normal salaries either. Are you satisfied with such stability? Any adequate economist, for example Guriev, will explain to you everything said above.
I have heard so many of these myths over the past couple of years that I am no longer surprised. And for some reason, I hear them every time either from schoolkids, or life's losers, or paid agitators. But people over 30, with a family/good job/personal business, usually say otherwise.
Moreover, these myths have been repeatedly dissected in every detail with references to primary sources, but the exalted fighters apparently do not read analytics, so they repeat the same thing over and over.
For example, the noticeable rise in oil prices began only in 2004, but economic growth started already in 2000. That is, during Putin's first term, growth came from streamlining the economy - putting legislation and judicial proceedings in order, introducing adequate export duties on oil and gas and forcing oil barons to pay them, the work of tax authorities, etc. Then with the rise in oil prices, the growth rate only increased, but the trend existed before that as well.
I can't be bothered to write about the rest, it would be way too many letters, but the theses there are about the same level. In short - all these horrors occur only in the minds of unconscious comrades who are poorly acquainted with real life, judge it by internet propaganda, or are simply too young to have the opportunity to personally compare - how it was before and how it became after.
For me, every few years, actions of government organizations cause slight surprise precisely at the everyday level - wow, they did it cool, didn't use to be like that. Maybe because I'm used to mostly relying on myself, maybe because I remember the chaos of the 90s, maybe because I don't listen to fairy tales about rivers of milk and banks of jelly "somewhere out there," maybe for some other reason, I simply note it as a fact.
I've heard so many of these myths in the last couple of years that I'm no longer surprised. And for some reason, I always hear them from either school kids or people who haven't achieved much in life, or from paid propagandists. But people over 30, with a family/good job/their own business, usually talk differently.
I anticipate a response along the lines of "That's because you're in Moscow and St. Petersburg, things are different there." )))
The goal isn't about a dictator or non-dictator, but about a shed.
The goal of what? The goal of the Maidan wasn't some made-up shed of yours, but specifically the overthrow of the dictator Yanukovych. Wicc
I've heard so many of these myths in the last couple of years that I'm not even surprised anymore.
Dude, do you even live in Russia?)) Are the exorbitant prices for utilities a myth to you? For the majority of the population, it's not a myth. Is the fact that it's impossible to run an honest business without bribes also a myth? Are people so intimidated by police arbitrariness that they're afraid to even talk to police officers on the street – is that a myth? Wicc
from paid agitators.
That's where you gave yourself away!)) Let me ask you, who pays these agitators?)) The State Department, the Freemasons?)) We know the largest system of paid internet propaganda in Russia – it's the Kremlin bots. Haven't you heard of them?)) Considering all your incoherent rambling, I'm increasingly convinced that you are one of them. Do you get paid 85 rubles for posts here too?))
What is the goal? The goal of the Maidan is not some shed you made up, but specifically the overthrow of the dictator-convict.
The goal of any reasonable action.
I cannot argue in a reasoned manner about the dictator-convict, it's clearer to Ukrainians. Therefore I only point out the general principle - overthrowing a dictator does not solve problems by itself, but does create problems because it increases chaos in the state governance system. So one must act from the other side - what do you want to get as a result and who can provide that?
Dude, do you even live in Russia?)) For you, predatory utility prices are a myth? For the majority of the population, it's not a myth. The fact that it's impossible to run an honest business without bribes - is that also a myth? People are so terrified of police lawlessness that they're even afraid to talk to cops on the street - is that a myth?
Looks like you're the one not living in Russia :)
For example, I personally have not heard a single person complain about utility prices. I admit it may be due to my social circle - mostly working adults who simply include the cost of rent and utilities in their salary expectations. I recall a similar survey on a socionics forum - "what salary do you need for a normal life", and the answers were in the style of "rent+utilities+N", where N varied from person to person.
The situation with business is similar - most of my acquaintances who are small businessmen (I have no connections among big ones) note that the number of bribes needed to run a business has been decreasing over the years, and the procedure for paying them has become more streamlined. That is, you can simply include them in your business plan as an expense item. And the number of cases of officials extorting money has significantly decreased - they usually take bribes either to speed up certain procedures (which would have happened anyway) or to turn a blind eye to certain violations.
As for police lawlessness, that's just lol, where is that information coming from? I notice the opposite - cops have become much more polite than before, they don't try to shake you down for money (I regularly encountered that in the early 2000s), when stopped on the street they check documents, a couple of times they searched me for drugs (I sometimes get a strange look on my face when I'm thinking), found nothing, apologized and let me go.
Or, say, traffic cops - I've been driving since 2004, and I've observed the entire evolution of their behavior through personal experience, and I also have some idea of how it was in the 90s since I rode around a lot with my father. Every year there are fewer attempts to shake people down for money, it's harder to give a bribe, violations are processed faster and more legally accurately, paying fines has become faster and easier, etc. And driving culture has noticeably improved - fewer reckless drivers, rude people, and such.
And there you slipped up)) Allow me to inquire, who pays these agitators?)) The State Department, the Masons?)) We know the largest system of paid internet propaganda in Russia - it's the Kremlin bots. Haven't heard of such?)) Taking into account all your incoherent blathering, I am increasingly convinced that you are one of them. Do they pay 85 rubles for posts here too?))
Give me your phone number, who to contact, maybe I'll raise money for the prize fund of the next tournament :) That's only 35 posts, quite doable in a few days of Ukrainerant...
The goal of the Maidan is not some imaginary shed you've come up with, but specifically the overthrow of the dictator Yanukovych.
That's what worries me. Now, new future dictators want to overthrow the current dictator, and no one is worried about the shed in this situation. Or rather, they are worried, but in the sense that they want to have enough time to steal before the shed completely collapses. Essentially, the struggle is for the right to destroy the shed, like: whoever does it is the coolest! A strange game...
Added 1 minute ago Wicc, "the order of bribe payments is being streamlined" and the article about expenses - that's great! I'll add it to my quote collection.
the amount of bribes for doing business decreases over the years, and the procedure for their payment is becoming more organized.
LOL))) The fact that the procedure for paying bribes is becoming more organized is, of course, progress))) And do you know who initially organizes these bribes from the very top? Mr. Putin, one of the richest people on earth, the main Russian corrupt official. He pocketed at least $30 billion from the Olympics alone. And these are all funds from the budget, our taxes. So, what kind of progress can there be in a country where the president is the largest financial criminal?
"The system of bribe payments is becoming more organized," and the comment about the expense category – that's great! I'll add it to my collection of quotes.
Well, businessmen are generally more cynical, pragmatic, and selfish than officials. If it's more profitable to pay, they will pay. If it's more profitable to sue or assert their rights through various channels, they will do that. If the amount of bribes makes the business unprofitable, they will leave the business.
Moreover, officials also understand this psychology of businessmen, so they take exactly as much as they are willing to give; ruining a businessman is not in their interests. It's a perfectly market-based relationship – if the flow of businessmen to an official decreases, the official lowers the prices for their services. At the same time, a particular businessman may suffer, but as a class, they are in a symbiotic relationship with officials.
For a normal business, the most important thing is stability, the ability to plan future income and expenses, whatever they may be. And the main problem for business is a decrease in demand. If there is demand, there will be something to share with the officials.
Politics is a very sensitive topic due to the lack of information, but based on personal experience, as well as the experiences of friends and acquaintances, I get quite nervous when I see someone in uniform (I've never had any problems with the law, knock on wood). It's like being in a dark alley and seeing a group of drunk young people who look like thugs; it seems paradoxical, but it's a fact.
With arguments like yours, you could prove that HeroesWorld is mired in cheating, moderator abuse, and outright rudeness. All it takes is a couple of episodes and voila — a trend.
That's why you shouldn't look at individual episodes, but at the overall statistics. And compare them with previous years to identify the dynamics of the process.
LOL))) The fact that the order of bribe payments is being streamlined is, of course, progress)))
The fact that this surprises you shows the extent of your understanding of life. Developed states differ from undeveloped ones precisely in that in the former, corruption is orderly and civilized, forming part of the state system, while in the latter it is disorderly and wild, competing with the state system (example: Russia in the 90s).
And do you know who initially streamlines these bribes from the very top? Mr. Putin, one of the richest people on earth, the main Russian corrupt official. He skimmed at least $30 billion just from the Olympics for himself. And that's all money from the budget, our taxes. So what progress can there be in a country where the president is the biggest financial criminal?
Explain this to me — what does Putin need money for? Simply — why?
You're just trying to model his behavior based on the psychology of a petty bourgeois, for whom money provides both opportunities and status. But for the head of state, opportunities and status are not determined by money at all.
This is a simple matter of scale of psychology — some grandmother has a modest pension, so the price of milk in the store matters to her; she tries to buy whatever is cheaper, or wherever it's cheaper. While I, for example, don't even look at the milk price tag — I just grab it and head to the register.
But when buying a car, the price matters to me, because there might not be enough money for what I want. So I compare and choose based on both price and price/quality ratio.
For a big businessman, the next level — the price of a car doesn't really matter; he'll buy whatever he wants. But when buying a steel mill or an IT company, there's already negotiation and maneuvering.
For the president, all these factories, newspapers, steamships are nothing more than chips in a game; the objects of interest are large territories, states, millions of people — the struggle is for them. How much money or how many cars he has is irrelevant.
Businessmen are generally more cynical, pragmatic, and selfish than officials. If it's more profitable to pay, they will pay. If it's more profitable to sue or assert their rights through various channels, they will do that. If the amount of bribes makes the business unprofitable, they will leave the business.
Moreover, officials also understand this psychology of businessmen, so they take exactly as much as the businessmen are willing to give; ruining a businessman is not in their interests. This is a perfectly market-based relationship: if the flow of businessmen to an official decreases, the official lowers the prices for their services. At the same time, a particular businessman may suffer, but as a class, they are in a symbiotic relationship with officials.
For a normal business, the most important thing is stability, the ability to plan future income and expenses, no matter what they are. And the main problem for business is a decrease in demand. If there is demand, there will be something to share with the officials.
Now it's clear why our business isn't doing well: the boss (who is also the owner) absolutely refuses to give bribes and can't stand kickbacks :D
This is like saying if Aunt Masha had balls, she'd be Uncle Vasya. The grass is always greener on the other side - the favorite troll topic. In Detroit, dropping dead around a corner is many times more likely than in Burundi from behind a bush, no matter what they taught you there or what sheet they put on the bed in a children's hospital.
It was just the number that caught my eye. The largest shares of income (total contribution to GDP, 2012) from tourism belong to small island states (pure math): Aruba - 83.8, Antigua and Barbuda - 77.4, British Virgin Islands - 77.3, Anguilla, Seychelles, Vanuatu, Maldives, Bahamas, and, surprisingly, rounding out the top ten is Cabo Verde - 44.1. Well, the leader is Macau - 92.9. Source But essentially, you could have just done it without the numbers:)
By GDP structure we have:
According to the IMF, the UAE nominal GDP is expected to grow to Dhs1.42 trillion this year, compared with Dhs1.39 trillion in 2012, The total value of the UAE oil and gas exports is expected to reach Dhs422.1 billion while the value of the exported commodities is likely to rise to Dhs1.35 trillion this year compared with Dhs1.27 trillion in 2012, the IMF said.
Piterius
