SECONDARY country

While the media were discussing the trial of three famous girls, something much worse happened in the country - yesterday Russia officially joined the WTO.

Much has been said about the negative consequences of this event for the national economy. The expected decline in consumer prices is usually cited as the main argument in favor. However, reducing customs duties on goods will not automatically lead to a fall in prices. In our Russia, the price of a product at the supplier and at the counter differs significantly due to monstrous corruption, undeveloped infrastructure, high taxes, and no reduction in duties will help here.

You can recall how in Russia in May 2006, due to the increase in imports of cheap powdered milk from Belarus, the price of milk fell from 12 to 6 rubles, while the price of milk in stores at the same time increased significantly.

So who in Russia benefits from joining the WTO? Perhaps it is beneficial to resource corporations, which have received legal and ideological justification for the abolition of export duties on oil, gas and other natural resources. For now, the Russian government maintains duties, but the WTO does not welcome them. It is obvious that as globalization develops, the question of abolishing duties will be raised again and again.

The Russian corrupt elite, busy with cuts and kickbacks, certainly won, demonstrating to the West their ability to negotiate, manageability and commitment to the interests of transnational capitalism.

Everyone else is a loser. The advantages and bonuses for domestic business proclaimed by the Russian government are very vague and non-specific, just demagoguery. This is also recognized by the Minister of Finance, who speaks of budget losses of up to 300 billion rubles a year.

And most importantly: the Russian Federation is increasingly becoming a leading element of the global economy, where the peoples of Russia are not assigned the most enviable role. Now we are residents of the SECONDARY country.