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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia Mulling Voluntary Mass Relocation
2010-11-18
The Kremlin is considering pushing ahead with the biggest geographical redistribution of its population since Stalin's forced deportations of entire nationalities in the 1940s.

Under the plans, which were leaked to the daily Vedomosti newspaper, the majority of Russia's 141 million population would be -- concentrated in just 20 urban centres rather than sparsely spread out over one-fifth of the earth's surface as is now the case.
Makes it easier for the Chinese to grab Siberia ...
At the moment, 90 per cent of Russia's towns have a population of 100,000 people or less, many of them in remote locations. The leaked plan said such places had "no future" and were not worth developing. Instead, it proposed relocating people to 20 urban centres where Russia's main natural resources such as oil and gas are located.

Unlike in Stalin's day, when people were forced to move at gunpoint on the often spurious grounds that they were "enemies of the people" or Nazi collaborators, relocating would be optional and encouraged on economic grounds alone.
But if not enough of them move ...
Much of rural Russia is dying as young people move to towns and cities and entire Soviet-era settlements which were built around just one or two factories are no longer economically viable. "There is no need to fight against the current and we need to develop big cities and urban centres," the plan said according to the newspaper.

Analysts said the plan, which would roll back the Soviet idea of urbanizing the entire country, is likely to be heavily touted by President Dmitry Medvedev as part of his agenda to modernize Russia. "Changing the map of the country is a necessary but not simple task which needs to be done very carefully as any overreaction could lead to a fight for urban resources," a government official was quoted as saying.

With speculation mounting about whether Medvedev or Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, will run for the presidency in 2012, the plan could be a useful electoral tool for Medvedev, according to analysts.
Posted by: Anonymoose

#7  Looks like an invitation for the Chinese to walk into Siberia.
Posted by: Omiting the Younger   2010-11-18 10:39  

#6  At the moment, 90 per cent of Russia's towns have a population of 100,000 people or less, many of them in remote locations. The leaked plan said such places had "no future" and were not worth developing.

I guess that's what happens when populations are so disgruntled they don't even have enough babies to have a future.
Posted by: gorb   2010-11-18 10:23  

#5  ...yes, Marina Orlova has a few words about that subject.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-11-18 09:38  

#4  They need more babies. They should discourage exporting the baby factories as mail order brides.
Posted by: Glenmore from TN   2010-11-18 08:47  

#3  Getting overrun by 'non-Russians' in the hinterland and threatened back at the old homestead, this plan appears to be a form of moving the wagon's into a circle.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-11-18 08:39  

#2  the plan could be a useful electoral tool for Medvedev, according to analysts.

Behold the Fulton County Georgia Democratic model. Food stamps, Fannie & Freddie low/no interest housing, and gov't handouts take a bit longer, but the results are astonishingly similar.

Anything within 25 miles of the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport free jobs site approach pattern be ours!
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-11-18 01:39  

#1  PEOPLE'S DAILY.CN FORUM > CHINA REPLACING RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA.

versus

* TOPIX > KAN TO HU: SENKAKUS IS JAPANESE TERRITORY.

* SAME > TERRITORIAL DISPUTES ARE SIGN OF NEW COLD WAR IN ASIA. All 66 of 'em.

* SAME > JAPAN: TERRITORIAL ROWS UNDERCUTTING PACIFIST STANCE.

Which in turn may lead to domestic Popular + Political Support for a RE-ARMED, MILPOL = GEOPOL AGGRESIVE JAPAN - ALSO READ, NUCLEAR-ARMED JAPAN.

NUCLEAR NIHONJO.

** BHARAT RAKSHAK/INDIAN DEFENCE POSTERS > INDJUH'S NAVY will go FULLY NUKIES once PAKISTAN learns to dev + marry PLUTONIUM WARHEADS to its LAND-BASED MISSLES + ultimately its NAVAL MISSLES.

WHERE NUC PAKISTAN GOES, NUC-WANNABE IRAN IS NOT FAR BEHIND.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2010-11-18 00:34  

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