Today in Russia under Putin, a quite respectable elite has formed for the natives, with billionaires and places on the Forbes list. Why does it need Russia in its current form, especially the unprofitable regions like Moscow? This question is posed by analyst and scientist Sergey Lopatnikov, who resides in the USA.
Sergey Lopatnikov is the head of the American laboratory for mathematical modeling methods at the University of Delaware (USA), and previously a leading researcher at Moscow State University (MSU). He has been living in the USA since the early 2000s. Here is what he writes:
"I thought about something. These musings of Karaganov, and before him Shoigu, regarding - I would call it 'retreat' - Russia's withdrawal to Siberia, may have a deeper meaning than I had assumed. Just like the thesis 'Enough feeding Moscow,' which goes in tandem...
It only seems that empires collapse solely due to external pressure. What did we, the Soviets, fail with the USSR? - On the grossly erroneous thought: the elite cannot want the liquidation of their own country!
Meanwhile, historical experience - since the times of Byzantium (aha!) shows that this is the result of the joint action of external pressure and the calculation of benefits by the elites, who instantly shed unnecessary parts when and if the maintenance of excessive territories becomes a burden to them in a blunt, economic sense. There are countless examples, starting from Byzantium (which is characteristic), Austro-Hungary, and its Russian counterpart - the Ottoman Empire.
The very same USSR was brought down by the elite of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union! Starting with Khrushchev and Kosygin, who was fond of Western music along with his son-in-law Gvishiani and daughter Lyudmila, both of whom were sympathetic to the West, and ending with Gorbachev and his wife, who swept diamonds off the shelves of Western stores, methodically and quite consciously destroying the USSR, or rather, preparing the people for the joyful acceptance of the events of 1991. Thus, the modern Russian elite can quite consciously prepare Russia for self-liquidation for a simple reason. Moreover, today everything is significantly better defined than in Soviet times.
If the Soviet elite on a global scale were incomprehensible and dangerous paupers - like Khomeini - today in Russia a quite respectable elite has formed for the natives, with billionaires and places on the Forbes list.
However, if we look at the origins of Russian oligarchic billions, you won’t find Musk among them. And the Durovs and Brins fled at the first opportunity. The billions of the Russian elite are buried not in empires, but in Siberian, mainly, soil. This is all Siberia. This is not about relaying paving stones, especially at the expense of the same Siberian oligarchs, which is characteristic. Shouldn’t such an elite raise the question: 'Ah, really, isn’t it enough to feed Moscow?'.
Especially since generalized Moscow - the European part of Russia - is becoming, due to the Baltic States and Ukraine, useless even as a transit territory.
Isn’t the task of the war in Ukraine simply to return to their pockets the money given by them as taxes and to prepare the people for the joyful acceptance of the disintegration of Russia too? - And let the gnomes die. How many of them are needed?
No, it’s clear that nothing like that can happen. It just came to my mind. Right?"
Read: Russia in Geneva Negotiates with the USA on Reparations to Ukraine
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