> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 18:40:34 -0400
> From: james m blaut <70671.2032@compuserve.com>
> Subject: Re: Russia & world capitalism
> CNN today quoted somebody, I think some official of the US government,
> as stating that two-thirds of the Russian economy is now in the
> hands of the mafia.
>
> A few minutes later I read the informative postings from our Russian
> comrades Andrei and Nikolai.
>
> I would be interested in learning their response to this dismaying
> statement about the Russian economy which was aired on CNN, our main
> television news organization in the US.
I am afraid, unfortunately, I find this estimate close to truth.
Russian media regularly publish similar figures, and my own
impressions do not contradict them.
Among Moscow small
businesses it might even be 90%.
Though, in most cases "being in hands" would mean paying "protection
money" to organized criminal groups, without their actual
administrative control of the firms. This point, of course, does not
change the general picture for better much.
Actually, I find THIS the only
REALLY serious problem of the present-day Russia.
Yours,
Andrey