Russia’s Crony Capitalism: The Path from Market Economy to Kleptocracy

This insightful study explores how the economic system Vladimir Putin has developed in Russia works to consolidate control over the country… Thus, Putin has created a super wealthy and loyal plutocracy that owes its existence to authoritarianism.
Much of this wealth has been hidden in offshore havens in the United States and the United Kingdom, where companies with anonymous owners and black money transfers are allowed to thrive. Though beneficial to a select few, this system has left Russia’s economy in untenable stagnation, which Putin has tried to mask through military might.
FYI –>

• twitter .com/McFaul/status/1508906568015785986 (‘ Important observation from @anneapplebaum. & even though I studied in Krakow in the summers of ’86 & ’87, learned Polish, & co-edited a book on Ukraine w/ @anders_aslund in 2006, I too have recognized these biases in my own thinking & am still relearning. Rereading @SPlokhy now.    29-03-2022 ‘)
• twitter .com/FiringLineShow/status/1498328006154235907 (‘ Chess champ and democracy activist @Kasparov63 talked to @MargaretHoover in May 2021 about how a failed invasion of #Ukraine could undercut #Putin.“The moment dictatorship shows its weakness in the eyes of its subjects, that’s the end.”. FULL EPISODE: https://bit.ly/3M6yyNp ‘)
• twitter .com/itvpeston/status/1498328387886411776 (‘ Joining @Peston & @AnushkaAsthana is former world chess champion ♟️ and Chair of the @HRF @Kasparov63 We’ll discuss ⬇️ 🪧Protests in Russia, 🇷🇺Vladimir Putin, 🇺🇦Ukrainian resistance 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 on 💻 @itvpeston & 📺 @itv 𝟭𝟬𝟱𝟱 𝗣𝗠 #Peston   , 28-02-2022 ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498143707148820480 (‘  Anders Åslund : Russian people: Face it! Putin is right now destroying everything you have built for the last 30 years. Either you stand up now to have him ousted, or you may be stucked in an ever worse mess for many years. Can you imagine an even worse dictator than Putin?! I cannot. 27-02-2022  ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498146687025618945 (‘  Anders Åslund :  The only people who have destroyed their national economies more than Putin are Mugabe and Chaves. Is this a league anybody would like to be in?  ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498144646031155202 (‘  Anders Åslund :  Let us put Ukraine in our normal context. Suddenly a bestialic dictatorial neighbor attacks, because he realizes that nobody likes him, but he wants to stay in power. The Ukrainians say: We love freedom, so we defend ourselves. Putin: I shall kill you all with ignorant conscripts  ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498136238154465282 (‘ Anders Åslund : Face it! In Ukraine, we are just about to see the most spectacular military failure of a purported great power since Japan beat Imperial Russia in 1905. Putin is not even a serious dictator. He is a bad joke (and torturer)! Send him to The Hague!  ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498139340601503751 (‘ It is difficult to understand major political events instantly, but the Russian war against Ukraine is big. Russia has not accomplished any single aim, but suffered big losses. 4,500 Russian soldiers are dead, but only 200 Ukrainian after three and half days.  Read the full conversation on Twitter , 27-02-2022 ‘)
• en.wikipedia .org/wiki/The_Hague (‘ The Hague or ‘s‑Gravenhage is a city and municipality on the western coast of the Netherlands on the North Sea… It hosts the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court. ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund (‘ Anders Åslund : Economist & author. Russia, Ukraine & Eastern Europe. Read my latest book: “Russia’s Crony Capitalism” ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498132433513943045 (‘ Anders Åslund : Isn’t it wonderful to see that the EU suddenly shows its hidden muscle? TomWlost : Incredible. I did not believe I would see this, but here it is: EU ban on transactions with Russian Central Bank has just been published in the OJ. Hell just froze over.  27-02-2022 ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498134850217431043 (‘ Anders Åslund :  It is impressive how Putin has succeeded in destroying the Russian economy. Why do not serious Russians kick him out? How can anybody take Russians seriously, if the allow themselves to be ruled by such an unmitigated disaster?  @vsualst : Absolutely brutal collapse in the ruble tonight – down more than 40%. This exceeds the loss suffered on August 26, 1998 during the height of the Russian Financial Crisis. ‘)
• twitter .com/HotlineJosh/status/1498090696451973123 (‘  “Surprised by the unusually rapid European decision, the White House scrambled over the weekend to catch up in drafting its own related measures, according to one American and one European official.” , https://t.co/cdZMdaNCX9, via @Kasparov63  ‘)
• twitter .com/Kasparov63/status/1498153916088918029 (‘  Garry Kasparov :  I believe this Chicago Tribune version of my op-ed on how and why to stop Putin is also accessible in Europe.  https://t.co/Nvfrn0zTZz  ‘)
• twitter .com/RBReich (‘  Robert Reich : Berkeley professor, former Secretary of Labor. Co-founder, @InequalityMedia. Sign up for updates, analysis and drawings: https://t.co/U9YAAOuQvg, Berkeley, CA , https://t.co/NkWzjq1yYU   ‘)
• twitter .com/RBReich/status/1497712631943254019 (‘ The resolve of the Ukrainian people should give us all hope. #StandWithUkraine ‘)
• twitter .com/anders_aslund/status/1498146073231171587 (‘  Anders Åslund : When you tweet in support of free and democratic Ukraine, you tend to receive rude tweets of meaningless substance. First, you check do they have any followers? Usually not. Second, do they have any argument? Usually not. Third, any identity? No, block them all! ‘)
• twitter .com/RBReich/status/1497683475931054082 (‘ I can’t believe I have to say this, but anyone who applauds Putin’s actions is unfit to hold office in the United States. ‘)