[Goose]

Yes, I would recommend it too, though the bulk of the article focused, I thought, on the early revelations of Russian corruption, incompetence, and decay.  It seemed to suggest, however, that not a lot has changed--the rot is just too deep, so Russian hopes to reform its military and to start performing better doesn't seem that plausible.



I sometimes think that Americans just don't fully understand the horrific consequences of endemic corruption--but the Russian military is now a vivid example. 

I agree that we in the US at least don't understand the corrosive effects of corruption on all of society. However, I am also pretty sure we under-estimate how well some societies adapt to their cultural endemic corruption. Russia can still put men into space, launch deep diving submarines, and build nuclear weapons. They still develop very capable systems that are held together with bailing wire. We in the US would never consider trusting such a lash up, but the Russians can make it work (mostly). That makes it extremely difficult to figure out what they are actually capable of doing. We can't apply our standards.

[Goose]

Yes, I would recommend it too, though the bulk of the article focused, I thought, on the early revelations of Russian corruption, incompetence, and decay.  It seemed to suggest, however, that not a lot has changed--the rot is just too deep, so Russian hopes to reform its military and to start performing better doesn't seem that plausible.



I sometimes think that Americans just don't fully understand the horrific consequences of endemic corruption--but the Russian military is now a vivid example. 

I agree that we in the US at least don't understand the corrosive effects of corruption on all of society. However, I am also pretty sure we under-estimate how well some societies adapt to their cultural endemic corruption. Russia can still put men into space, launch deep diving submarines, and build nuclear weapons. They still develop very capable systems that are held together with bailing wire. We in the US would never consider trusting such a lash up, but the Russians can make it work (mostly). That makes it extremely difficult to figure out what they are actually capable of doing. We can't apply our standards.