Neva Say Never

Paper Summary:

The paper provides an overview of Russia's bid to change from a communist to a capitalist economy.The paper discusses how its antiquated infrastructure presents major, but not insurmountable problems for the Russian people and their economy. As the infrastructure improves, the author of the paper believes that there will be more foreign investment and a greater infusion of foreign ideas and technologies. The paper shows that building up the infrastructure is not the only task facing the new Russia. Old ways of thinking frequently get in the way of modern capitalism. The paper examines how centuries of Tsarism, followed by an even more oppressive communism, have inculcated in the minds of the Russian people a distrust for authority, and yet, at the same time, a complete reliance upon it. They have developed a herd mentality, while at the same time each individual tries to be the one antelope who snatches the extra blade of grass. The paper shows how an inefficient regulation and an overly personal political and governmental structure mean that Russia, even after all these years, is still, in the main, a society built upon direct personal bonds. The paper suggests that the Russian Federation has great potential, but first it must move forward into the Twenty-first Century and into the heart of the Western World.

From the Paper:

"According to the American steel producers, its Russian counterparts are stuck in a system that is midway between that of a state supported and state run system, and that of a free market economy. Often, Federation steel mills do not have to actually even pay for their supplies. They may simply barter for what they need. Furthermore, financial concerns are wholly different for the Russian manufacturer. Wages, taxes, and even suppliers' bills frequently go unpaid, and in spite of all this, there is little fear of bankruptcy. All of this is just the normal Russian way of doing business, an inheritance of more than sixty years of hard-line communism. One might call it the "lazy" faire way of doing business. With no profit motive, and no competitive impetus, Russian manufacturers operated solely under the guidelines of government bureaucrats."

More papers on Neva Say Never:

• Argumentative Essay # 68540 : "What Would Martin Luther King Say"
• Book Review # 134121 : "Yancey Philip's, "The Jesus I Never Knew"
• Book Review # 143411 : "They Say/I Say" - A Book Review"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: