Who bit our pie

Researchers from Skolkovo and Saint-Gallen found a lot in common among the elites of Russia and Botswana

The “Report on the quality of the elites”, prepared by Swiss University, Saint-Gallen recalls that any society is “decomposed from the elite”. Researchers literally associated the prospects of the country with the quality of those who govern this country. And they placed the "elitarians" on the rank - in accordance with their positive or negative contribution to the development of society.

What are the "elites", according to the authors of the Elite Quality Index (EQX) 2020 rating? These are not stars, not kings and not heroes-these are just small stable and well-coordinated groups, "successfully accumulating wealth." They can do this in different ways corresponding to their quality. And the quality of elites, according to scientists, is determined by how the models of accumulation of this wealth affect the development of society as a whole.

A good elite “creates values”, that is, he lives and gives live and even get rich to others, poor “extracts values”, that is, robs and assigns a general property. In both cases, the elite is rich; Only the “good” elite takes less than he creates, and the “bad” appropriates more than he does. Or, as the creators of the rating figuratively expressed, a good elite increases the “common pie”, bad - a large personal piece gnaws out of this “pie”.

At the same time, the “Report on the quality of the elites” rejects the common idea that every nation deserves their government. Nothing of the kind, it was written at the very beginning of the “report”, it is the elite that offers the society a system of values ​​and the rules by which you should live.

In an ambiguous place

When compiling the rating, the activities of the elitarians were counted according to 72 indicators that allow you to determine not only the desire and capabilities of the elite to “create values” or “seize values” (in other words, work or steal), but also evaluate the results of this activity

This is not to say that the result of the compilation of Elite Quality Index shocked the basics of ideas about the quality of the world bosses. Singapore with an assessment of the elite quality was expected to be expected to be 68.5 points, which left Switzerland in second place, and Germany in the third. In the closing, 32nd place-Egypt (40 points), who missed Argentina forward.

And where is the "elite" of the Russian Federation? In Elite Quality Global Rank, the Russian authorities are 23rd place with a 48.9 rating. This, by the way, is not so bad yet. Date the Russian Federation in the list were India-25th place, 45.4 points, Brazil-27th place, 44.1 points, and South Africa-30th place, 41.7 points. Yes, yes, you correctly noticed, these are all friends-BRICS partners. (Except China, he is in 12th place, with a rating of 58.4, between Norway and Poland.)

At the same time, the 23rd place, which was taken by the "elitaries" of the Russian Federation, has developed from a complex of diametrically opposite assessments in different indicators. The owners of the country received very good points for managing macroeconomic indicators - for low inflation, the ratio of public debt and GDP, a banking system. Here the elite can simply be praised.

On the other hand, the “five” for the economy are compensated by “deuces” for politics. High risks of business, monopolization of markets, a colossal share of public condition, converted by the "elite" in its favor,

Well, all the other signs of “capitalism for their own”, when losses are divided into all, and profit - only into a narrow circle of close to power.

You should not reproach the authors of the report of bias - Elite Quality Report was created in cooperation with the Moscow School of the Skolkovo Office, one of the nests of domestic elitarians, so they can be trusted.

That Bchuan is good, then Russian - death

Surprisingly different. In the rating of “Elite qualities”, Russia is located next to the African Botswana - the same 48.9 points. The most interesting begins here.

The fact is that Botswana, having an “elite” with exactly the same low “assessments”, like Russia, has achieved very decent social and economic results. Botswana is a favorite case in institutional development textbooks, it is presented as an example of democracy and order in Black Africa (and not only in Africa; from the moment of receipt of independence, the authorities in Botswana regularly change in completely free elections).

• In the neighbors of Botswana, the national currency is measured by billions or kilograms by weight of banknotes, and in Botswan inflation does not exceed 10% ;

• Botswana has high rates of urbanization;

• Excellent ( 7–8% ) rates of economic growth;

• high by African standards of Podushva GDP - $ 8,000 (for comparison, per capita GDP of the Russian Federation - $ 11,000 );

• That Russia, that Botswana live on rent from the sale of resources, only Russia sells hydrocarbons, and Botswana - diamonds (which, from the point of view of chemistry of hydrocarbons).

So, maybe the low quality of the "elite" is not an obstacle to development and growth? Not quite so.

The two millionth botswana is the “country of one people”, before it was called Bchuangland. Bchuans make up 80% of the population of Botswans. The ruling tribe Bchuanov quite decently manages the country's economy and formed institutions that quite successfully, by African standards, share income from the sale of diamonds,

But ... exclusively "between their own."

But other tribes are in Botswana in the minority, and their representatives have no chances for quite democratic elections. No, no one represses the minority, do what you want, just know your place and do not interfere with the ruling tribe to supply diamonds to the former metropolis. Neither the authorities, nor the money earned from the sale of diamonds, the Bchuans do not share with anyone. Yes, the power in Botswan is changing regularly, but exclusively among its own. Well, this situation leads to the degradation of the elite, which, in fact, warns Elite Quality Index (EQX) 2020.

Giving arithmetic

So we have the same thing. Why not assume that the real one and a half million “bosses”, which took away the income from the sale of resources (and others at the same time) and distributing them in its circle, exists and reproduces itself in Russia.

Yes, the bosses do this skillfully, therefore, macroeconomic indicators in the Russian Federation are quite decent. But the “elite tribe” has no incentive to ensure the economic growth of the country. In favor of the decision to bite and tear the economic cake in their favor, instead of increasing it, from the point of view of our "elite" even elementary mathematics works. And when the boss talks about the fact that if the economy will grow by 3% per year, we will “catch up and overtake” Europe and America, he lies in your face.

Puzushva GDP of the Russian Federation is now about $ 11,000, per capita GDP of Croatia or Poland-about $ 15,000. Even with a constant 4 percent growth of the economy, we will catch up with this country for at least ten years, if they do not develop at all. And if they grow at the same pace (4% per year) - then never.

And Germany or Canada (Puzushva GDP is about $ 46,500), moving at the same speed, we will catch up with 70–80 years (if they also “stand still”).

Just in case: for the past 10 years, the economy of the Russian Federation has grown at best by percentage per year.

The Russian "elite" knows this simple mathematics better than you and me, so she chose her strategy for a long time and is not going to retreat from it. This strategy is the simplest - to fill your pockets, speculating with conversations about greatness and threats. “Living is the best, rule over everyone, put pressure on everyone and score,” as one good writer said.

And one and a half million elitarians and their entourage are not going to share the resource (and other) rents with the rest of the 144 million Russian citizens. They can only defend themselves from us, as in the besieged fortress. An isolated, closed on itself and a self -reproduced elite, protected from political competition - well, where does the quality of human material come from. Moreover, now it is not even a part of society, it is already actually a tribe in which there is no place for strangers. This is someone else's and hostile people, and it only seems to you that he speaks the same language with you.