[lbo-talk] Putin calls for state monopoly of alcohol sale

[Peter Lavelle]

In Russia's case a lot! Putin cited health issues to
move toward a monopoly, which is fine. However, past
(Tsarist and Soviet) experience with a booze monopoly
seriously overlooked health issues (and made a few
state officials very rich). In principle there is
nothing wrong with state monopoly, but the historic
precedent of empowering a few individuals to actually
"privatize" a state monopoly does not bode well for
Russia.   

--- joanna <123hop at comcast.net> wrote:


> What's wrong with a state monopoly on booze?
> 
> Joanna
> 
> Peter Lavelle wrote:
> 
> >Well, as Doss cited in his post, the vodka business
> in
> >Russia is very much criminalized and the 40,000
> deaths
> >a year attributed to bad booze just has to be
> >underestimated.  
> >
> >I am not pleased with the prospect of a state
> monopoly
> >- a market solution should be sought. One thing is
> for
> >sure though - whoever becomes Minister of Booze
> will
> >have a lot of clout (and money!).   
> >
> >--- Jim Devine <jdevine03 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >  
> >
> >>hey, what happened to free enterprise? what's this
> >>Putin want, to turn
> >>the whole country into Pennsylvania, with its
> >>state-owned liquor
> >>stores? that's the slippery slope to socialism!
> >>JD
> >>
> >>On 7/3/05, Chris Doss <lookoverhere1 at yahoo.com>
> >>wrote:
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Jul 2 2005 8:22PM
> >>>
> >>>Putin calls for state monopoly of alcohol sale
> >>>
> >>>KALININGRAD, Russia. July 2 (Interfax) -
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>Substandard
> >>    
> >>
> >>>alcoholic drinks kill 40,000 Russians yearly,
> >>>President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday,
> calling
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>for
> >>    
> >>
> >>>the state to monopolize alcohol business.
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>___________________________________
> >>
> >>    
> >>
>
>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >  
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >		
>
>____________________________________________________
> 
> >Yahoo! Sports 
> >Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy
> Football 
> >http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com
> >___________________________________
>
>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> > ___________________________________
>
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com