Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Zakaria: Russia’s Biggest Problem Isn’t the War. It’s Losing the 21st Century.
By admin
Published 2 years ago on
July 3, 2023

Share

A 15-year-old Russian boy today has the same life expectancy as a 15-year-old boy in Haiti. Remember, Russia is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of natural resources. And it is an urbanized, industrialized society with levels of education and literacy comparable to, and perhaps even exceeding, other European countries.

But scholars say Russian President Vladimir Putin has created a parasitic state that gets revenue by extracting natural resources rather than any creative production and that fulfills none of the functions of a modern state in terms of providing for its people. Corruption is intrinsic to this kleptocratic regime, with the result that post-Soviet Russia has seen the fastest rise in inequality anywhere in the world.

For Putin, modernizing Russia would create a more active civil society, greater demands for better health care, more opportunities for ordinary citizens.  It’s a path he won’t pursue.

Read more from Fareed Zakaria at The Washington Post

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

The MAGA Revolution Threatens America’s Most Innovative Place

Trump Pardons Tax Cheat After Mother Attends $1 Million Dinner

1 hour ago

Eight More Drowning Deaths Added to Kern River Warning Signs

2 hours ago

Fresno Unified Safety Officer Alleges Battery by District Exec. What Does PD Say?

A former Fresno Unified campus safety officer said she was falsely imprisoned and battered by a district executive. However, Fresno police s...

19 minutes ago

19 minutes ago

Fresno Unified Safety Officer Alleges Battery by District Exec. What Does PD Say?

Authorities arrested 45 people and seized guns and drugs during a multi-agency parole and probation sweep across Tulare County over the past two weekends. (Tulare County SO)
1 hour ago

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 45 in Parole, Probation Sweep

Students walk on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi/File Photo
1 hour ago

Trump Administration Halts Scheduling of New Student Visa Appointments

1 hour ago

Trump Pardons Tax Cheat After Mother Attends $1 Million Dinner

Lower Kern River
2 hours ago

Eight More Drowning Deaths Added to Kern River Warning Signs

Caitlin Clark Against the NY Liberty
3 hours ago

Caitlin Clark Will Miss at Least Two Weeks With Quad Strain

David Sanchez Montes is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for May 27, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
3 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: David Sanchez Montes

3 hours ago

Trump Threatens Action as Clovis Prepares for CIF State Track Championships

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend