Most on here are probably too young to remember Yeltsyn, or didn't hear much in the news. From 1992 to 1995, salaries were not paid on time. First of the month... NO PAY! 12th, maybe 30% of LAST month's. Then by the NEXT month, you are TWO month's pay behind, except for the 30% you got on the 12th. Police had no gas to patrol, ambulances had no fuel to make runs. Did people line up, swear, throw stones, burn their cities? NO! My sister in law had just graduated the university and was teaching- for $20 a month. When Putin came on board, it was quickly 50, 100, 150 and up and up to $800. (in perspective it has fallen to $350, but high speed internet with wifi at home is $6.50. A ZTE smartphone is $32 and service is $3 a month. Electricity runs $8 amd heat is about $12. 45 channels on TV is included in internet fee of $6.50)
In adition to salaries becoming 2 years behind was news reports from near Vladivostok of houses being 33-35 degrees, just over freezing. Putin personally went there a couple years later when his orders to repair were completed.
Collapse? ha ha ha ha. No, Russia will never collapse. If invaded, the invaders will be repelled, as has always been the case.
One think i notice is fewer fruit stickers on the fruit in the stores.
It won't collapse due to a foreign influence. The only thing that can cause it is a series of sheerly incompetent governments, much more incompetent that the one of Putin.
It will become poorer though due to the withering of the international trade, and lack of access to the financial resources like cheap western credits for the industry and so on. Once the economical bonds with Europe diminish enough it will become more politically isolated, more aggressive and assertive, since e.g. Europe from the Russian point of view will become more of a problem and a potential threat than a valuable partner.
I don't think Russia will collapse from you sanatactions, whatever you think that is supposed to mean. However, your own community is likely to suffer certain hardship due to a growing number of illiterates like yourself. Just by being what you are, you are inadvertently undermining the very foundation of your own state.
US sanctions, no. World sanctions, especially refusal of western Europe to buy Russian natural gas, yes.
The price of oil and gas is a far greater factor to economic conditions.
Marc is right. Sanctions are pathetic and ridiculous.
Hopefully not, such would be calamitous for the entire global economy.
