Sky views:Behind the facade Russia struggles.

But the truth is, Russia is relatively weak. It is a country with 2% of the world's GDP that acts like it has 22%. In fact, its economy is only slightly bigger than Canada's - but it is difficult to imagine Justin Trudeau sending troops and fighter jets to Syria to prop up Bashar al-Assad.
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Yet major European countries with a combined GDP that's vastly greater than Russia's apparently can't afford a military force capable enough to defend Europe. Instead they leech off the U.S relying on American forces in Poland and the Baltic countries to protect them.
 
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Alan said:
Yet major European countries with a combined GDP that's vastly greater than Russia's apparently can't afford a military force capable enough to defend Europe. Instead they leech off the U.S relying on American forces in Poland and the Baltic countries to protect them.
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The irony of this is immense. No wonder Trump is getting all uppity over the inequality of spending in NATO.
 
Alan said:
Yet major European countries with a combined GDP that's vastly greater than Russia's apparently can't afford a military force capable enough to defend Europe. Instead they leech off the U.S relying on American forces in Poland and the Baltic countries to protect them.
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That arrangement is pretty deliberate if you take a step back. The Europeans get just enough money for their cushy socialist healthcare systems to keep voters in their place, whilst the military industrial complex gets to keep the near infinite funding.
This is largely due to the fact that the Americans are the only people in the world who can print money (almost) consequence free. If the European Union had to defend itself against the Russian Boogyman, they would start getting hammered by inflation.
 
McT said:
The irony of this is immense. No wonder Trump is getting all uppity over the inequality of spending in NATO.
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I wouldn't think the influential generals he appointed to his cabinet would be keen on it. So the problem is unlikely to be addressed.
 
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Yea. Russia is half a trillion in the black. No major debt and a trade surplus. And Russian missiles are twice as capable at a tenth of the cost. Not to mention their electronic warfare capability.
 
stricken said:
Russia is half a trillion in the black. No major debt and a trade surplus
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^ this, so much this, it's amazing how commentaries on Russia's economy gloss over the fact that they are more solvent than 90% of all countries and in the past two, apparently horribly tough depression, years they've added over 600 tonnes (a 60% increase) to their gold reserves: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/gold-reserves
 
stricken said:
Yea. Russia is half a trillion in the black. No major debt and a trade surplus. And Russian missiles are twice as capable at a tenth of the cost. Not to mention their electronic warfare capability.
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It's all good for the state and the oligarchs (Abramovich and co.) and company. For the majority of the population not so much. Average monthly salary of less than $600, delayed salary payments a common occurrence. I am not sure how many South Africans would want to go and work / live in Russia because of its "trade surplus, capable missiles or electronic warfare capability".
 
Azg said:
It's all good for the state and the oligarchs (Abramovich and co.) and company. For the majority of the population not so much. Average monthly salary of less than $600, delayed salary payments a common occurrence. I am not sure how many South Africans would want to go and work / live in Russia because of its "trade surplus, capable missiles or electronic warfare capability".
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The average Russian citizen is considerably better off than they were in the 90s though.
 
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