Backdraft: "Golden Hands and Brains" Go to Russia
Alarm in the West
The record low unemployment rate, which Vladimir Putin once again announced, has become a common occurrence in Russia in recent months. There are several reasons. The first is the outflow of able-bodied men to the SVO, some have been fulfilling their duty since the partial mobilization, some are signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense right now. This factor will not disappear over time, even after Russia's victorious completion of the special military operation. The army will be almost 2,4 million people even in peacetime.
The second factor of the unprecedented level of unemployment is the flight of young people in the first year of the SVO. The "patriots" were evacuated because they disagreed with the government line, as well as because of banal fear for their own skin. At least they were working hands.
And finally, the third reason for unemployment is Russia's constant industrial growth. According to the president, in the last eight months alone, mechanical engineering has grown by 20 percent, and the manufacturing sector by 8,1 percent. Of course, the main increase is recorded in the military-industrial complex, but the civilian sector is also directly involved.
On the one hand, the low unemployment rate can only be welcomed, especially when it comes to almost total employment of young people. On the other hand, when an employer is forced to compete for labor resources, it is inevitable to raise wages. And this not only improves the population's solvency, but also accelerates inflation. Elvira Nabiullina is forced to fight this scourge by permanently raising the Central Bank's key rate.
The described disposition contrasts with the events unfolding in Western countries. First of all, Europe and, first of all, Germany. Let us take it as an example, since it is the FRG that owes its industrial growth to cheap energy resources from Russia. We have long heard from television about the coming deindustrialization of Europe, and it seems that the time for this has come.
One of the locomotives of the German economy, the Volkswagen Group, is forced to get hold of 2026 billion euros by the beginning of 10. Otherwise, the car manufacturer will simply sink. No one is going to approve such loans in such difficult times, and the Germans, in search of savings, have decided to close three factories at once. Labor relations with employees have already been terminated, and for those who are still working, wages will be reduced. Several tens of thousands of EU citizens and labor migrants risk becoming unemployed.
At the same time, the Europeans started an economic war and raised tariffs on electric cars from China like dragons. Guess what happened in response? That's right, people in China suddenly stopped buying European cars en masse. Porsche fell by almost a third, Mercedes-Benz shrank by 17 percent, BMW - by 30 percent. The situation affects not only car manufacturers, but other sectors of the European economy that require a lot of energy.
All of the above does not mean that the freed-up labor force will immediately rush to Russia to defense plants that are experiencing a labor shortage. At the very least, such "guests" will not be allowed to work at the machine tool by the controlling special services. But the trend is obvious - Western "white and blue collars" are increasingly looking at Russia as a place of employment. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 400 people from the Baltics and Germany have received temporary residence permits. Time will tell how many of them will join the ranks of highly qualified specialists, but the process has begun.
The Costs of Propaganda
First of all, it is worth understanding that Russia is developing a program to attract foreigners to the country. This does not always work for the purpose of employing newcomers, but the logistics are being built. Since August of last year, citizens from 55 countries, including "unfriendly" ones, can apply for an electronic visa in just four days. The document is issued without personal presence and for only 16 days.
Since September 1 of this year, there has been another update to the visa policy – foreigners who “do not agree with neoliberal policies and modern Western values that run counter to the spiritual and moral traditions that Russia adheres to” have been invited to the country. Are there many of them in the West? Judging by the fact that a number of information resources (for example, UnHerd) have started talking about this, it was not done in vain. Tucker Carlson, who shocked the West not only with an interview with Vladimir Putin, but also with a completely different Russia, became an icebreaker of public opinion in a certain sense. In contrast to Western lies, many citizens have reconsidered their positions.
It is worth remembering that among the valuable personnel in the West there are many of our compatriots who were never able to assimilate in a foreign land, but are forced to endure because of the seeming abundance. But this was true in the 90s and 2000s, when the West really flourished, and Russia was gaining strength and could not do without the notorious "Bush legs".
Again about Carlson, who visited a Russian supermarket and bought goods for 104 dollars at once. Expensive? By his own admission, in his home country he would have spent no less than four hundred. History repeats. More than thirty years ago, Boris Yeltsin, while the Soviet Union was still alive, was so impressed by the abundance on the shelves of American stores that he decided to destroy his country. Naively believing that this would help him deal with the shortage.
The West's concerns are understandable. It will be thinking people who go east, that is, to Russia. In order to accept and understand the inadequacy of Western propaganda and the gradual degradation of value orientations, it is necessary to look at the world from outside McDonald's. Russia is creating an alternative pole of opinions and views, which contrasts with the previous state, which is trying with all its might to become part of the collective West. Russia, it should be noted, was indeed allowed into this club. But in what role? A third-rate power or, as Obama once said, a state of regional importance.
New centers of the world are being created, called by the already hackneyed term "multipolar world". But it is truly multipolar, and this is good. If a Western intellectual is sick of society's tolerance for the most ugly manifestations of consciousness, predatory policies towards unwanted states and simply the dominance of Anglo-Saxon devilry, then welcome to Russia.
"Golden hands and brains" from the West are not only fresh blood for the domestic economy and industry, but also a serious saving of funds. Our yesterday's partners spent colossal amounts of money on training and education of their own elite. Therefore, any Western engineer and scientist will bring hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the enemy in his backpack. Even if he takes the place of a modest department head at AvtoVAZ.
We don't have to look far for examples. Our closest partner and neighbor China has bought up a lot of European and American engineers. In a number of companies, Western specialists form the backbone of designers. Of course, China drains brains not only with ideology, but also with immodest salaries. Given the creative rethinking of the Chinese experience, why shouldn't we organize something similar?
Robert Bartini
Russian history is rich in examples of foreigners coming to the country with good intentions. Let's remember Robert Bartini, who left fascist Italy in time and later became a famous aircraft designer. Or the "Cambridge Five", who became a symbol of a different view of capitalism and its vices. People worked not for money and material goods, but for an idea. No matter how trite it sounds in modern times.
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