China and Russia: Tale of two developing nations
The biggest problem Russians face is that Putin could be around for another 40 years, and in that time, the entire state and all it does will be moulded to his whims, with his friends occupying all the high places.
This hinders development. China, though a one-party-state with issues of its own, is not encumbered by the need to service a single ego, and commerce is free to develop organically without the threat of becoming 'too successful' to be allowed not to be absorbed into the Putin web.
Why is Russia not one of the natural places in the developing world to set up your manufacturing? Putin. Why is Germany digging up more brown coal than ever before rather than burning less environmentally friendly russian gas? Putin.
Why don't I think a russian ARM chip is going to set the world on fire? Putin.
It's a shame, really, that he isn't a lot older.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
