[url=http://engforum.pravda.ru/showthread.php3?threadid=17067&referrerid=575]why not hear what they have to say about it[/url]

oh NO!  it's the father of DU!

Yeesh.  My head hurts now.  Thanks a lot.

What Russia would need to be No. 1 is for the U.S. & U.K. to go away.

That guy who was saying that instead of communism or capitalism they should go with humanism reinforced something I've believed for a long time.  Humanists don't seem to understand humanism.  It's almost utopian.

"I...am...number one!..."

Nelly  3:37

They would have to become us and that aint going to happen.

Ban vodka!

Productivity is wasted because they wait in line for hours just to get the holy water!

There would have to be miracles of unheard of proportions in that sorry country………….. they’d all have to sober up for at least one day…………… stop dragging down anyone in their society who was legally successful and………….. destroy organized crime……….which is after all the ONLY organized thing in Russia.

Only thing Russia has going for it is their nukes.  The one who will be our upcoming competition for number 1 is China. Don't trust them a bit.

Lot to be said here. Get rid of organized crime and quit dragging down people that are successful and Russia could be a real up and comer. God knows what untapped resources they have. Siberian oil, for one. Shit! If they could just eat some foolish pride and let the 798ers (Same guys that built the AK pipeline)have at it, they'd be in Fat City. God knows what else they have!

Don't sell Russia short. They have the basic resources big time, and my guess is that in 20 or 30 years, watch out!

What will it take to make Russia #1? A helluva lot more than they've got!

Let's just let them continue down that path.  Socialism is just one small step away from communism.

It would take ALOT. Only some miracle could help.

First, end the fist-fights in parliment (oh, and yes, they DO have those over there). An end to corruption(political, LE, and military) wouldnt hurt either.
The organized crime and corruption are what keep most large companies/firms from opening business down there.. Same goes for small business. Heck, my cousin carries a machine-pistol around down there when he goes on business (same goes for his partners).

An end to the war with chechnya would be nice, OR atleast they could stop exporting arms to chechnya to start.

The "Warning, Will Robinson!" tape started playing three lines into that crack-induced diatribe against capitalism.  As soon as anyone mentions "social justice" as a goal, I translate that to "legally ripping off those who succeed."

That "Warning!" turned into "Danger, Will Robinson!" as soon as I saw stuff like free education, worker's paradise, etc.  

The real problem with all these models is they assume the best of mankind, and if Communism proved anything it was that in any system, those in search of individual power will try to take it at any cost to anyone and anything, AND, that those at the bottom, with no incentive to work or prosper will do neither.

Russia still hasn't learned some of the basic truths about a stable society--you need incentives for individuals to work and invest, and you need equal protection and prosecution under the law.  Without those, a country simply cannot get off the ground.

BTW, isn't it interesting that both of those are slowly slipping away in our own country?  

In their Favor:

They Do Not Have, but we have:

1. Slick Willie
2. His Wife
3. New York City
4. LA and vicinity
5. Feinstein
6. Rosie
7. Either McCarthy
8. San Fran
9. The Million Moron Marchers
10. Give me time I’ll come up with many Many more reasons why Russia can be a better country than the US.  Like the AWB.

All economies bigger than the Netherlands (about the same size as Russia's) would have to be eliminated or superceded by the Russians before they could be numero uno.