“You mean those links that cite incorrect statistics, probably on purpose, for chumps like you to eat up like candy? Believe what you want (as you clearly do), but I won’t poison my own mind with that sort of manipulative propaganda.”

Michel is an expert at this. S/He has attempted to calculate Russia’s reserves were like below $200bn and attempted to claim there were no forex reserves (at robertamsterdam.com, can’t be bothered to find link). The most amazing thing that when confronted s/he insisted until me and someone else provided links from western media and institutions (Bloomberg included) that showed the reserves at over $300bn at the time (can’t remmmber exact amount) and then gave us the pleasure of disappearing in grace. S/He is a systematic and pathologica liar perhaps to a greater extent than LaRussophobe itself. Don’t be at all surprised.

“And yes, I have been to Russia. Or maybe I haven’t. Then again maybe I live in Russia and my real name is Ivan. people have been known to lie on the internet. A better question is why an anonymous poster is so interested in the real lives of people he’s arguing with on the internet. Could it possibly be that you can’t argue without making personal attacks and smears?”

No, s/he can’t. (S/he can’t even when s/he does make personal attacks but anyway.)

Larussophobe:

“It’s a pity you seem to have missed my blog’s recent post on this subject”
It is never a pity when anybody misses a post on your blog on any subject. It is luck.

“Michel you and your fine Russian language skills…
Since when were “fine” language skills evidence in favor of one’s argumentation? What do they have to do with the topic? It’s a pity Michel’s English “skills” are not so fine, after all it’s the language s/he predominatly gives his/ her performances in? E.g “Even women who had planned to their pregnancy are deciding to go for an abortion.” Most normal people plan something, michel is obviously a case that plans TO something. I’m

are truly the bane of the insane Russophile.”
Really, next thing you know they’ll all be jumping out of windows unable to cope Michel’s Shakesperean English….

“It’s almost like you were put on earth just to drive them out of their “minds”. ”
Well Michel might have a purpose in life (although it’s more likely he came out of the sea and was not placed upon earth), it’s indeed considerably more than what can be said of you.

“But this silly little goat goes on bleeting,”
The lattershould be meant self-referentially.

“asking the world to ignore what is happening and consign the people of Russia once again to the dustbin of history.”

Ignoring what is happening is what you do best Larussophobe and hopefully the blogosphere will consign you to the dustbin of history (more than a priviledge in your case)for it.

My own relevant contribution:
Those intelligent life forms that have posted comments may want to seek Russia’s demographics for August. It’s not much but it is probably quite a bane for Larussophobe and its followers.

Let me explain LR’s agenda:
she is part of the neo-con greater Israel crowd. They percieve Russia as the only
entity capable of sandbagging their agenda, henceforth the vitriol. She is a fanatic
of the first degree and a pitiful person.

Russia’s population:

there are 2 outcomes possible

1:) as Putin/Shuvalov/Kudrin et al continue the developement/diversification of Russia’s economy the population will bottom out and rise from there. Where it will bottom who knows.
The decreasing population will not effect Russia’s GDP and growth prospects for the following reasons:
1. Russia productivity still has not caught up to the west. Productivity per worker is anywhere from 2/3 to half of that in the west.
2. Many towns founded during the Soviet era are economically unfeasible and thus depopulating.

2:) As illustrated in this 1 minute video population growth has moved lockstep with the exploitation of fossil fuels. For millenia population barely creeped up but with
the advent of the steam engine powered by coal pop began to explode reaching a frenzied pace with the exploitation of oil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz2UY4n4las

the advent of peak oil will lead to a general population decline with Russia being the least affected due to its abundant resources:
the best soil, most fresh water, most gas, and lots of oil. However Russia would probably have to deal with massive migration from Europe.
The outcome of peak oil is murky for Russia.

Quite simple: having a discussion about Russia with a Russophile who has never been to Russia is a pretty pointless exercise.

As for Da Russophile, call it an exercise to better understand his psyche. What we write is shaped by our life experiences, and yes I am trying to probe into Da Russophile to know what makes him tick. Me bad LOL.

But, given that I am always accused of “making personal attacks and smears” I will henceforth not reply to either of you. You and Da Russophile can go play in your little sandbox together and build ideal little Russias in the sand.

At the end of the day you read some bullshit that a conspiracy theorist said, took it as fact, forgot how to do grade-school math and came out looking like a total fool.

And I have never once resorted to making attacks against a SWP’s real life identity/personal situation. Not once. And the rest of you post anonymously so that would be impossible. But you can still bow to me if you’d like.

“they have been more than adequately answered by the links provided by rtyb and La Russophobe.”

You mean those links that cite incorrect statistics, probably on purpose, for chumps like you to eat up like candy? Believe what you want (as you clearly do), but I won’t poison my own mind with that sort of manipulative propaganda.

“Hundreds of billions were stolen or spent frivolously (to support the ruble for example) that could have been invested in the health and well-being of the population.”

So preventing the ruble from crashing like it did in 1998 (which is exactly what they did) wasn’t an investment in the health and well-being of the population? You once again show your ignorance on both economics and how an economy effects the health of the people (something that has been a focal point surrounding the causes of demographic decline in Russia and Eastern Europe). Even if there was no financial crisis, they would never have spent that reserve money on AIDS or anything else. The AIDS budget is entirely independent of what happens with the foreign reserves, and it has been increasing exponentially over the past few years, including this year despite the financial crisis.

And yes, I have been to Russia. Or maybe I haven’t. Then again maybe I live in Russia and my real name is Ivan. people have been known to lie on the internet. A better question is why an anonymous poster is so interested in the real lives of people he’s arguing with on the internet. Could it possibly be that you can’t argue without making personal attacks and smears?

And Bob has refuted the (factual) errors in the quoted Paul Goble article in a post above. I can understand his reasons for not bothering to retrieve it when it is so easy for you to just press Ctrl-F, type in “Bob from Canada” and find it yourself within one or two minutes.

The point is quite simple, if someone is from country X, speaks the language of country X and presumably has the citizenship of country X, I cannot understand why they would want to live in country Z if they believe that country X’s future is so much brighter. You have described to us the coming utopia of a prosperous Russia fueled by nanotechnological innovation. If you truly believe what you say, again why would you live in the United States? Reason dictates that you would seek to live in Russia. At least Timothy Post talks the talk and walks the walk as he chose to live in Russia. And, just for Bob, if I were a citizen of Sweden, spoke Swedish and believed that my future would be brighter in Sweden, I would already be living in this fine Scandinavian country. I am neither a martyr nor a great Canadian nationalist, if I thought that my life and that of my future children and grandchildren would be better in another country, I would do everything in my power to live in that country.

You write: “I wonder if he’d like to exile like half the Canadian international relations analysts to China.” Well, the fact of the matter is that I would not exile them, but I would certainly ask them the same question. If they believed that life would be so much better in China in the future, if they spoke the language, if they were citizens of China, it would be rational for them to go live where life would be presumably better for them and their families. This is the case of a number of Canadian immigrants from Hong Kong, they became permanent residents and citizens in the years prior to the transfer of Hong Kong to China. Many returned to work in Hong Kong, leaving families in Canada, as they could earn more money in Hong Kong. This was a perfectly rational choice, and I believe they are doing the right thing, and commend them for doing it. It is a much better and understandable choice to me than if they were to live in Canada whining about how it is better to be in Hong Kong.

However, you choice of words, Da Russophile is intriguing. Why did you choose the word “exile.” Would you consider living in Russia an “exile”? I did not say that you should be arrested and shipped back to Russia, rather I simply asked why you choose not to live there. Quite the emotional response to a straightforward question. Choosing to live in the wonderful country you describe should not be understood as an exile, so I would wager that your choice of words reveals the ambivalence that you yourself feel towards Russia. So, who exactly are you trying to convince as to the present and future state of Russia, us or yourself?

As for Bob and the issues you brought up, they have been more than adequately answered by the links provided by rtyb and La Russophobe. What I believe is quite simple: Russia did some things that were helpful, but they could have done a lot more. It would be equivalent to handing someone who just suffered a terrible car accident a few bandages. Yes, it is better than nothing, but the severity of the injuries require a lot more than those few bandages. Hundreds of billions were stolen or spent frivolously (to support the ruble for example) that could have been invested in the health and well-being of the population. This would have saved countless lives.

However, Bob, you have never answered my question either. Have you ever been to Russia?