-----Mensagem original----- De: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]Em nome de ChrisD(RJ) Enviada em: domingo, 24 de novembro de 2002 11:04 Para: 'lbo-talk at lists.panix.com' Assunto: RE: Russia and Iraq
---- What is really threatened is the money of the state. Russia is not a poor country in a precarious economic situation (for the most part). Russia is loaded. Moscow is super-loaded. Moscow is obscenely rich. On the other hand, the condition of infrastructure is wretched and state employees and pensioners get only a pittance (officially, anyway. Putin officially earns $800 a month.). This is because few organizations pay full taxes except the big natural-resource extractors/processors and some big manifacturing holdings, making the state budget dependent on them.
A full professor at a state institution in Moscow makes about $150 a month. A teacher or doctor make make $100 a month. On the other hand, you can make $700 a month selling shoe polish at the train station (I know a guy that does this) or $1000 a month driving a cab. Both the latter activities will put you in the "middle class," whereas the doctor, professor or teacher is poor (though they may supplement their incomes by taking tips, bribes, moonlighting and so forth).
The pisser about making judgments about the Russian economy is that NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW BIG IT IS AND HOW IT IS STRUCTURED.
-Right, but, from what I know (correct me if I´m wrong), Russian government -spending is something like 30-35% of thr GDP. And, while Moscow is rich, -the countryside is poor, so if the government loses its revenues, the -economy could collapse. And what would be the consequences of a worseining -in trade balance?
Alexandre Fenelon