DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Putin Opponents Are Made to Vanish From TV

**allmyflights** · 06-08-2008, 01:04 AM

Point taken, but the difference with the U.S. is, we already have a strong economy. People get all worked up when the unemployment rate goes from 5% to 5.5%, while most countries would love their unemployment to hover in that range.

Examples of how the Russian economy has improved since the late 1990s:

2007 was the ninth straight year of economic growth, averaging 7% per year (8.1% in 2007).
By early 2008, average monthly salary was $640, up from $80 in 2000.
14% of Russians lived below the poverty line in 2007, down from 40% in 1998.
Unemployment at around 6%, down from 12.4% in 1999.

These are substantial gains, and all of them have come under Putin's rule. So while he's eroded the rights of the press and other liberties, the economic realities of average Russians have improved, and I suspect that's why they don't mind.

06-08-2008, 01:04 AM	#12
allmyflights Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 391 Senior Member	Point taken, but the difference with the U.S. is, we already have a strong economy. People get all worked up when the unemployment rate goes from 5% to 5.5%, while most countries would love their unemployment to hover in that range. Examples of how the Russian economy has improved since the late 1990s: 2007 was the ninth straight year of economic growth, averaging 7% per year (8.1% in 2007). By early 2008, average monthly salary was $640, up from $80 in 2000. 14% of Russians lived below the poverty line in 2007, down from 40% in 1998. Unemployment at around 6%, down from 12.4% in 1999. These are substantial gains, and all of them have come under Putin's rule. So while he's eroded the rights of the press and other liberties, the economic realities of average Russians have improved, and I suspect that's why they don't mind.
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