I know I know, our country is falling apart. We should focus on us first, etc. But, just for fun, let's say you could magically disappear Putin and now you're in charge.

What would you do?
It seems like if you try to stomp out corruption/remove oligarchs from power, you'll end up falling off a balcony.

Privatizing everything too fast could create instability and of course the oligarchs might make you fall off a balcony.

I think I would give raises to the military and promote mid/lower level guys up to ensure their loyalty/backing. Afterwards, I would target certain parts of the economy and privatize it bit by bit. I'm not sure where to start first, but I'm thinking the banks. It's already partially/somewhat there but I model it after our/western European policies. Then I would do energy.

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

I think Russia is screwed eventually unless China collapses. Either that or Europe needs to fall.

You spelled California wtong

The problem is there are worse people behind Putin.

I'd create a free market & only retain essential govt programs

Pathetic people that can't handle not being taken care of aren't a concern anyway

AColunga07 said:

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I know I know, our country is falling apart. We should focus on us first, etc. But, just for fun, let's say you could magically disappear Putin and now you're in charge.

What would you do?
It seems like if you try to stomp out corruption/remove oligarchs from power, you'll end up falling off a balcony.

Privatizing everything too fast could create instability and of course the oligarchs might make you fall off a balcony.

I think I would give raises to the military and promote mid/lower level guys up to ensure their loyalty/backing. Afterwards, I would target certain parts of the economy and privatize it bit by bit. I'm not sure where to start first, but I'm thinking the banks. It's already partially/somewhat there but I model it after our/western European policies. Then I would do energy.

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I would lean into the national mythos. Seems like Putin is doing this- reaching into their history and myth to set a vision for expectations now and for the future.

Free the markets but maybe hold on for a time to the energy industry through corrupt partnerships so that I can keep military funding flowing.

Halt offensives in Ukraine, consolidate holdings of key regions and locations.

Make sure major funding in place for asymmetrical warfare including automation, AI, hacking, drones.

Bolster partnership with Iran, as it is effective at distraction and tying up world attention.

Focus on destabilizing and disrupting China, aimed at decentralization of power of the CCP.

Keep NATO away.

Destabilize the US through social engineering. Division, paranoia, and propaganda.

Employ classic education methods combined with cutting edge education technologies to identify key talents and get them in position of impact quickly and in the next generation.

I'd do the same thing I'd do with the West Bank right now - glass it and start over.

I don't believe it will be possible due to the population issue. The one area that I agree with Peter Zeihan on is declining population and the fact that advanced countries die over time due to a dwindling population.

there is no fixing Russia. They've always been a dysfunctional abomination

I don't think you "fix" Russia, just like you don't "fix" the Middle East. Their culture is that they expect the government to be run by thugs. It was even that way when they called themselves communists. They shifted to a market economy in the 1990s, and the organized crime took over because they didn't know any different. The best you can hope for is managing their leadership

People dismiss the "western values" as unimportant when pointing to why we have been a successful culture, but there are huge differences in basic fundamental principles that make us historical anomalies. Russia does not have that base to work from. They have never had guaranteed freedom of anything, and don't expect it. History is a long unbroken string of bloody power struggles in the entire world that doesn't make a better version of a dictator all that likely to be successful. The people under them don't expect it, and get on with their lives just dealing with it.

We have no say or control over Russia in any way shape or form. It can't be done. It isn't our business.

Just like they have no say in our Country.

But honestly, Russia has its issues, but I'd be more concerned with North Korea and the Middle East.

Russia is a beautiful country though, I went there in 2012. It's not as different as people think these days.

AgBQ-00 said:

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there is no fixing Russia. They've always been a dysfunctional abomination

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bingo

Catherine the Great brought in all those Germans settlers centuries ago for a very good reason

they work hard. Russians are largely thieves

annie88 said:

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We have no say or control over Russia in any way shape or form. It can't be done. It isn't our business.

Just like they have no say in our Country.

But honestly, Russia has its issues, but I'd be more concerned with North Korea and the Middle East.

Russia is a beautiful country though, I went there in 2012. It's not as different as people think these days.

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This.

Burdizzo said:

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I don't think you "fix" Russia, just like you don't "fix" the Middle East. Their culture is that they expect the government to be run by thugs. It was even that way when they called themselves communists. They shifted to a market economy in the 1990s, and the organized crime took over because they didn't know any different. The best you can hope for is managing their leadership

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Ding ding ding. Their culture is very different from the West and when we had the moment to Westernize them in the 90s, the oligarchs came in and took control of the country. They've spent the last several hundred years between monarchies and totalitarian governments. A true free market and free speech is a foreign concept.

Well, first step would be busting up the oligarchy and keep people from using the government to enrich themselves.

So you'd have to put some things in place like we have here in the United Sta...uhhhh.....well....nevermind

Let Russia have its strong man leader who is content with being a strong man inside mother Russia with no designs on Eastern Europe. I don't give a rats ass if they are a democracy, oligarchy, dictatorship, etc. I just want them to stay inside their borders and play nice with their neighbors.

If Putin would get over his obsession with being Stalin II and recreating the new USSR and instead focused solely on the Motherland I'd cheer him on.

Elect Trump to start…

I spent about 2 years reading Russian history books to see if I could understand how they accepted communism and are as crazy as they are. The only real take away I had was that the country has been broken since the beginning and really at no point in time was it truly functional. Being a peasant has always been a horrible existence but the ruling class wasn't a whole lot better.

Russia's population suffers from the prisoner's dilemma like anyone under a ruthless dictator. The first who step up in visibility vocal opposition are sure to be cut down, so nobody dares, even though they could dislodge Putin if they all tried together.

annie88 said:

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We have no say or control over Russia in any way shape or form. It can't be done. It isn't our business.

Just like they have no say in our Country.

But honestly, Russia has its issues, but I'd be more concerned with North Korea and the Middle East.

Russia is a beautiful country though, I went there in 2012. It's not as different as people think these days.

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I couldn't agree more that it is a beautiful country. When the invasion first started, tons of people were putting up YouTube channels to show what was happening in Russia, and no matter where the person was from, the land around them was so beautiful.

Russia is on track for a collapse before they're "fixed." Their birthrates plummeted with the dissolution of the soviet union, and have never recovered. Add to that the rampant alcoholism, drug abuse, and non-existent education system, and their future looks like an implosion from depopulation and societal decay that breaks Russia up into several smaller secessionist states in the next few decades.

It's not gonna be pretty.

The problem with Russia, is that it's full of Russians.

At least it's not America's hat.

Based on our record of "fixing" countries, especially ones on the other side of the globe, how about we just don't try to "fix" anymore countries. We should probably worry about our own budding bolshevik revolution here at home.

No Spin Ag said:

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annie88 said:

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We have no say or control over Russia in any way shape or form. It can't be done. It isn't our business.

Just like they have no say in our Country.

But honestly, Russia has its issues, but I'd be more concerned with North Korea and the Middle East.

Russia is a beautiful country though, I went there in 2012. It's not as different as people think these days.

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I couldn't agree more that it is a beautiful country. When the invasion first started, tons of people were putting up YouTube channels to show what was happening in Russia, and no matter where the person was from, the land around them was so beautiful.

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I watch Bald and Bankrupt on YouTube. Never thought I would watch some bald man walk around other countries but I like it for whatever reason.

His main gig is Old Soviet countries or territories, and India. India Good God, we are some lucky people is all I have to say. I'd rather be in Russia than India

But seeing all the old Soviet stuff is cool and he talks to the locals a lot, and surprisingly most of them want the old Soviet Union back, even in old territories/countries, which was surprising.