Teaching Comparative

Using capital for politics

If most of a nation's wealth is "intangible capital," then using those intangibles is important to economic viability and success.

For strategic reasons, the United States "employed" Russia's nuclear industry and experts to support the Russian economy and keep nuclear technology and materials away from terrorists and rogue states.

Knowing that his country needs to use the technical knowledge and skills as well as the "produced capital" in its factories and infrastructure may be part of the reason for Putin's announcement reported in The Guardian (UK) yesterday.

Another part of the policy making environment is the perceived threat from the US and NATO.

And yet another part of that environment may be presidential succession in Russia.

Helping students to understand all these motives (and more) is part of teaching comparative. Luke Harding's report from Moscow might help you do that.


Russia steps up military expansion

"Vladimir Putin announced ambitious plans to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft yesterday...

"The remarks follow his decision last week to resume long-range missions by strategic bomber aircraft capable of hitting the US with nuclear weapons...

"Mr Putin said Russia would also resume the large-scale manufacture of civilian planes. 'Russia has a very important goal which is to retain leadership in the production of military equipment,' he said...

"In the 1960s and 1970s the Soviet Union produced more civilian planes than any other country in the world apart from the United States...

"As part of the plan to boost significantly Russia's civilian aircraft industry, a new state-controlled organisation, the United Aircraft Corporation, has been created.

It is led by Sergei Ivanov, Russia's hawkish first deputy prime minister, who sat next to Mr Putin during yesterday's airshow - and the leading candidate to succeed him after next year's presidential elections."

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Followup: Iran buys Russian passenger jets

"Iran has signed a deal with Russia to buy five new Tupolev passenger planes...

"Russia had a powerful aircraft building industry in Soviet times.

"But the loss of guaranteed markets in other, formerly Communist countries hit civilian aircraft building hard.

"It is now just a shadow of its former self, but the Russian government says it can draw on the experience of the manufacturers of fighter planes and forge new markets.

"This was the driving idea behind the creation of a state-owned corporation, UABC, last year.

"It brings together more than 20 separate Russian companies involved in civilian and military aircraft building.

"Officials say consolidating capacities like this will eventually enable them to secure a 10% share of the global market for passenger aircraft..."

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Labels: economics, politics, Russia

posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:29 AM