On Aug 16, 2007, at 1:18 AM, Chris Doss wrote:
> Go to any store in Russia and walk around. :)
>
> Well, any non-electronics store, that doesn't sell
> software. That stuff is imports. Cars are about 60%
> imports IIRC. Anyway, who really cares? Only
> right-wingers say "poo, Chavez is only able to do what
> he's doing because of high oil prices!"
I say that and I'm not a right-winger. Oil allows Chavez to do things almost no other leader could do. Oil means plenty of ready cash and low foreign debts, not only funding development schemes but also insulating the country from IMF/financial market pressures. Russia has low investment rates and doesn't manufacture all that much, does it?
Doug