Seriously? You have a cheaper/better internet access in Russia compared to the USA and suddenly the Russian (extremely corrupted) political and social model (a modern monarchy of sorts) became a model economy over the US?
PS. I can't find the source, but I've read that in the last Russian elections more than 35% of the population wanted to return back to communism.
Off by a factor of 2, if you are referring to the Presidential elections in Russia, where the communist party candidate received less than 20% of the vote. 35% roughly includes all parties except Putin's. Although I am not sure that voting against Putin (or voting for the communist party, even) is equivalent to voting to return to communism. Were you referring to a poll, or perhaps another election?
Since I can't find the link, I won't disagree on the numbers you're reporting, but seriously the only one who trusts Russian election results must be Putin (and you).
ps. I'm not saying that he wouldn't have won anyway, but I'm sure that the elections in Russia are extremely well guarded.
I'll admit that I gave official election figures, as estimated by Russian election officials. They are at link [0]. Judging by official results, support for the communist party in Russia has not been anywhere near 30% since the 90's. However the Communist Party is Russia's straw man party, it is built to provide a weak counterexample to Putin and distract those who would otherwise support the main liberal opposition. This is fairly obvious whether you go by official results or western polls. I'm not sure why you think I trust the elections though; you seem to think I am arguing in favor of Putin when I am not. I simply don't think that throwing around a figure like "35% of Russians support communism" is a good idea when it is purposefully misleading and there is nothing to back it up.
I never said anything about the "Russian model". I simply suggested that where government stays out of the way, you get cheaper and better services. The quality of our internet has nothing to do with our government or social model, but with how free market and free trade work. If you had free market in Telecom industry in the US, you would also enjoy the same quality and prices.
But does the government really stay out of the way? Maybe my view is biased, but I always had the impression that in Russia a lot was about party and influential people connections.
That actually seems like a harder senario to rationalise, that a corrupt oligarchy is providing more competition and better services than a free market.
While Russia does have it's political elites and corruption (Like pretty much every other country) they aren't idiots, they have been on the other side of free markets and there are few there that know it's value.
People say US or EU are not corrupt or are less corrupt. That is a misrepresentation. They are equally corrupt in the higher levels (though they managed to convince people they are not). What happened there is consolidation. Thus if you want get things done, you have to spend more money lobbying at higher levels, because the lower level is scared of consequences. So a consolidation of corruption happened.
In the US when you want to win a court case, you spend money hiring top lawyers. In Russia you buy a judge. Results are the same. Who's to say one way is better than the other? You still need money to win, so how is it fair to the poor? In fact, I think it's incredibly irresponsible and actually immoral to tell the poor the system is fair while it's not.
The question is, which system restricts the free market more. That is very debatable. In some areas Russia's incredibly backwards simply because corruption expenses are higher than the equivalent expenses would be for complying with the regulation in the US. In other areas, it's great. City transportation is great, for instance. We have many private jitney services and they are not expensive, so people use them all the time. Same goes for cab services: you can literally raise hand and get any car at any time of day for much cheaper than in the US. You don't need licences to drive people around (at least nobody enforces that).
So, I'd say, in some areas the US definitely sucks. The quality of life you have in the US is most definitely not thanks to your government, but thanks to your private enterprises.
> In the US when you want to win a court case, you spend money hiring top lawyers. In Russia you buy a judge. Results are the same.
That's an extremely dangerous oversimplification: It's a fact that getting a good lawyer will give you more chances. But buying the judge it's a totally different thing.
Not at all different, if you look at the results. Both in Russia and in the US, if you don't have money, people can threaten and bully you with court, because they know for sure you cannot win.
Your claim is that the process somehow makes a difference. But if the results are the same, then it doesn't. It's like saying that war is NOT murder, because it's being declared by people in Washington wearing suits. Or that taxation is not theft because it's being done by a "legit" three letter agency.
Seriously? You have a cheaper/better internet access in Russia compared to the USA and suddenly the Russian (extremely corrupted) political and social model (a modern monarchy of sorts) became a model economy over the US?
PS. I can't find the source, but I've read that in the last Russian elections more than 35% of the population wanted to return back to communism.