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The secret of
this amazing endurance of Russian society and its considerable
stability lies in the high degree of autonomy of everyday economic
existence of the majority of the population. Russians have developed
the ability to function independently from the actions and decisions
of the government. This is reflected in the many jokes they tell
about their situation. One of them is about a telephone conversation
between Yeltsin and U.S. President Bill Clinton. They are discussing
the way their peoples live. |
Yeltsin asks:
—Bill, what is your minimal
subsistence level?
—$1,000 per month.
—And the average wage?
—$2,000.
—Bill, and what do they do with
the rest of the money?
—Why should
I care?
Clinton asks
Yeltsin:
—Boris, and what is your
subsistence minimum?
—1,000 roubles.
—And the average wage?
—500 roubles.
—Boris, but where do they get
the rest of the money from?
—Why should
I care?
The
authorities themselves seem to recognize the reality of the informal
economy, so important for the well-being of the population. It is
described with the help of such attributes as “shadow,”
“underground,” “gray,” and “black.” However, all these terms are
inaccurate because they usually imply illegal activity. A “survival”
economy helps millions of people to get by without necessarily
turning them into criminals and breaking the law.
Copyrighted material
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