Are the Russians better off under Putin then they were under the Soviet Union?

[Razgovory]

Something I've been wondering about.  Putin is a despot, you can't say that Russia has a democracy with straight face, (I'm not sure you could ever say that really), but is it an improvement?  Since the Soviet Union lasted quite a while I suppose I should reduce the time scale a bit.  I'm thinking of the Soviet Union under Brezhnev and co. It's a long and stable period of Soviet history. The Soviet Union of the mid to late 1980's is bit to chaotic to gauge and the being starved only half to death is an improvement over Stalinist period.  I should clarify what I mean when I say"better off", as well.  Does the average person have more personal wealth?  Do they have more personal freedom, economic freedom, and political freedom?

[Ed Anger]

We do get a lot of porn from them now. But a lot of it is just icky.

[CountDeMoney]

Of course they're better off.  And as much as I hate to say it, since I miss traditional Bad Guys(tm), so are we.  I'm sure the majority of the former Soviet Republics would agree as well.

I think the immediate post-Soviet era with Boris had such growing pains in learning the new economy that it wound up breaking the Russians, though.

[Legbiter]

Well, the average Russian today is maybe better off than during the turbulent 90's. A little bit at least. Russia's never had what you'd call good governance so it's a tough call.

[mongers]

Ask some Russians ?

[DGuller]

Yes, they're vastly better of materially, and not really less free politically.  The only downside is that there is still plenty of political uncertainty.  The screws are still being tightened, no one knows what Putin's end game is, no one knows what Russia's guiding ideology is apart from being a thorn in America's side, and there is no mechanism for the transition of power.  What would happen if Putin decides to fly barechested into space, to wrestle polar bears in weightlessness, and something wond horrible happens?

[Admiral Yi]

Gulags are closed.

[DGuller]

Gulags are closed.

For renovation.

[CountDeMoney]

Ask some Russians ?

They all seem rather happy at Best Buy and Home Depot, walking around with their shirts all unbuttoned with their gold medallions and shit.  I YAM EPIC WIN

[Liep]

They're equally aware that they could be better off.

[garbon]

Ask some Russians ?

They all seem rather happy at Best Buy and Home Depot, walking around with their shirts all unbuttoned with their gold medallions and shit.  I YAM EPIC WIN

Somehow I doubt this thread was about Russians living here.

[DGuller]

They're equally aware that they could be better off.

It's definitely tough to live there.  Whenever I see home videos from there, people are getting into car accidents and/or fights.

[Liep]

Stop googling for Russian Dashcams then, even if they are entertaining.

[DGuller]

Stop googling for Russian Dashcams then, even if they are entertaining.

I don't.    I just visit ru-chp.

[Sheilbh]

I'm not sure. They're undoubtedly better off than in the 90s. They're more free than they were under the Soviets and materially better off. On the other hand life expectancy in Russia has plummeted since the 80s, though again I think it's creeping back up from Yeltsin era lows. Also from friends who've lived in Russia they say bits of it are just unstable and quite dangerous, there's a lot of crime and a lot of violence.