23-01-2004 20:10									#91
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quote: which must be why Greece became a proper democracy directly after the war

It didn't. It took decades of battles for it to happen.

quote: If Greece was given back to Turkey that would solve a lot of arguments.

If Australia was given back to Aborgines it would solve none

	23-01-2004 20:11									#92
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Battles against the brutes and their agloamerican pimps of course.

	23-01-2004 20:27									#93
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quote: Originally posted by Serb Actually I don't get what you mean. Are you talking about competition in general? Which leads to imrovments of technologies, lower prices, etc? Or are you talking about Ricardo's thoughts, that country A can produce other goods more efficently than country B and will win the competition with country B in other area. So it's cheaper for country A to buy the goods X from country B (because it will cost for it more to produce it themself) and to sell to country B their goods Y (and country B will buy it because it's more cheaper for them to buy it from country A, than to produce it themself). If so, then I can't see many areas where goods produced in Russia will be more competitive than goods produced in other countries. An examples of such areas can be space and military technologies (where our goods still competitive, thanks to our technologies), but this area of market is heavily influenced by politics. Country B will never buy such goods from country A and countries C,E,F,G,J, etc, will buy such goods from country B regardless that it would have been more profitable for them to buy the same goods from country A. They are in military alliance or under political pressure of country B.

I indeed mean Ricardo's thoughts about comparative advantages, even though you seem to have misunderstood it. The idea of the theory is that the country doesn't need to be "more competitive than goods produced in other countries", it is enough to be comparatively more competitive. This means Russia has all the opportunities in the world.

Edit: Here is a link.

	24-01-2004 22:17									#94
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quote: Originally posted by VetLegion How does the author explain the relatively successful industries of Finland, Sweden, Canada, Island...?

The mentioned countries are already rich, developed and besides have capital of their own. Russia is poor, and has to compete for foreign investment with other developing countries while having such a huge disadvantage as cold climate.

Besides, those countries have a milder winter than Russia in the regions where the most part of the population is concentrated. This is true e.g. for Helsinki vs Moscow, although summer in Moscow is hotter than in Helsinki. What determines increased economic costs is not the average annual temperature as such, but how cold and prolonged the winter is.

	24-01-2004 22:33									#95
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quote: Originally posted by DanS I would only point out that overall, energy is less of a problem than you might think, once the overall economic situation settles down. Energy of all types contributes only about 3% of the US economy, for instance.

You are right in the case of a rich and developed country. When Russia becomes one of those, energy won't be a big deal. But we still need to get there, and meanwhile energy is a big burden. Russian economy is much smaller than the American one, however Russia consumes more energy per capita than the US. And this is not a luxury, but rather a matter of a mere survival, as Serb already mentioned.

	24-01-2004 22:39									#96
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quote: Originally posted by Serb 1) When the hell you'll understand that Moscow it's not the same as Russia? Moscow as far from the rest of Russia, as Gibraltar far from GB. Moscow is our cross, the bloodsucking parasite on body of Russia.

Moscow in Russia is the same as the US in the world. Both are hated outside of their realms, however many people from the outside would like to come to live there. And the prosperity of both is partly due to exploitation of the outside world.

	24-01-2004 23:17									#97
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quote: You are right in the case of a rich and developed country. When Russia becomes one of those, energy won't be a big deal. But we still need to get there, and meanwhile energy is a big burden. Russian economy is much smaller than the American one, however Russia consumes more energy per capita than the US. And this is not a luxury, but rather a matter of a mere survival, as Serb already mentioned.

Again, I don't think that's a very big deal. So what if it represents to your average Russian 3 or 4 times of what it does to the average American? It's still only a relatively modest portion of Russia's economy. Further, this is a decreasing burden to Russia. The US has its own self-created economic burdens that compensate, if we are making comparisons with Russia.

Anyway, don't discount all of the strengths that Russia has that are already setting it on the path to a well-to-do economic existence.

	24-01-2004 23:57									#98
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quote: You know what amaze us when we watch your movies? You "paper" houses of flimsiest construction. You can't find a single such house in Russia, because no one will survive a winter in such house. To simply survive, we have to build a house with thick walls, have to use warm-saving materials, dig pipes (gas, water, warm)below this house much deeper, because otherwise they will be destroyed by cold during winer, etc. We have to do all this, while all you need to survive in your climate- is just a roof above your head, a house of flimsiest construction. Simple survival in our climate reqires much more, energy and resourses.

Apparently, I didn't make my point sufficiently clear. The difference in cost is not very large between a flimsily constructed building that requires a lot of maintenance in cold weather and a building meant to keep mother nature out at all costs that requires only modest maintenance. Because of this, the disadvantage to Russia of requiring construction of such bulidings is not very great.

Sure, if you half ass it, like Russia has done in the past, then you'll be burdened unduly by this problem. But Russia is under new management, at least in part.

	25-01-2004 06:07									#99
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Vagabond, The winters in Minneapolis are about as harsh as Moscow. Minneapolis is a very prosperous city.

	26-01-2004 08:27									#100
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quote: Originally posted by Hurricane I indeed mean Ricardo's thoughts about comparative advantages, even though you seem to have misunderstood it. The idea of the theory is that the country doesn't need to be "more competitive than goods produced in other countries", it is enough to be comparatively more competitive. This means Russia has all the opportunities in the world. Edit: Here is a link.

Really? Then give me an example of goods that Russia can produce more efficiently than others.

	26-01-2004 08:28									#101
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quote: Originally posted by The Vagabond Moscow in Russia is the same as the US in the world. Both are hated outside of their realms, however many people from the outside would like to come to live there. And the prosperity of both is partly due to exploitation of the outside world.

Exactly.

	26-01-2004 09:10									#102
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quote: Originally posted by Ned Vagabond, The winters in Minneapolis are about as harsh as Moscow. Minneapolis is a very prosperous city.

Ya! It's not even close to the size of Moscow yet, but I predict it's population will BOOM in the next couple centuries. Oh, and Minnesota is the home of many famous US companies: 3M (industrial equipment), Pillsbury (flour, pastries, etc), Hormel(SPAM! ), General Mills (Cherrios), Grayhound (buses), etc. We also have the Mall of America for shopping junkies!