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Thursday, November 12, 2009

International The New New Man: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Wants Major Economic Reform

Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 8:24 AM

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for profound reform of the economy in his annual state of the nation address...

"Instead of a primitive economy based on raw materials, we shall create a smart economy, producing unique knowledge, new goods and technologies, goods and technologies useful for people," Mr Medvedev said.
"Instead of an archaic society, in which leaders think and decide for everybody, we shall become a society of intelligent, free and responsible people."

This is the story of modern Russia—the story of its determined civilized side battling its resilient primitive side. With Peter the Great, this battle took the form of a massive urban project, the "window on the West," Petersburg. With Lenin, it was the terrific industrialization of major sections of Russia's population. WIth Medvedev, it's going to be the transformation of an economy based on the extraction of raw materials into one based on the production of immaterial goods; or, put another way, a move from disciplinary society to control society. In each case (Peter, Lenin, Medvedev), it all comes down to this statue:

Russian literature, which begins with Pushkin, has always seen Russia in the frozen moment of The Bronze Horseman—not the leap, but the moment before the leap: front feet in the air (the future, the West), back feet solidly on the ground (the past, the East).

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More like Globalization. But Russia is so rich in natural resources, why not do both.

Posted by Vince on November 12, 2009 at 9:23 AM

Russia has the advantage that when their jobs are shipped off to India, the time difference won't be so bad.

Posted by Renton Mike on November 12, 2009 at 9:27 AM

Dude, Russia *is* a smart economy. The best spammers, hackers, and identity thieves all live there. I'm pretty sure Confickr (as far as we can tell) was made there. They have some of the worlds best black hats. Why ignore this prominent sector of the economy?

Posted by Mr.Joshua on November 12, 2009 at 10:23 AM

Oh, God, please stop talking about Russia. It's embarrassing when non-Russians wax poetic about what Russia is, blah blah blah. Especially anytime you invoke Pushkin.

Medvedev has about as much in common with Peter the Great or Lenin as Barack Obama does with George Washington or Franklin Roosevelt.

Posted by shnurkyef on November 12, 2009 at 10:40 AM

Lenin had nothing to do with the industrialization of Russia. That was all done by the short Georgian.

Posted by danny on November 12, 2009 at 10:43 AM