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North Caucasus still a concern – Medvedev
Published: 27 February, 2010, 19:12
Edited: 05 April, 2010, 15:15
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has reiterated that stabilizing the North Caucasus remains the country’s most-serious concern, during a visit to the volatile region.
@ K.E. Your idea is generally sound. However, the specifics of the volatile portion of N. Caucasus are a bit different. Usually, people who take up guns there are a part of some local "clan". Young people there are totally under the influence of their elders and often have to obey no matter what. Kind of like in the Corleone family. The population has an extensive family and "kum" - sort of brother from another mother - connections. They deal in the black market and prefer to sell things than to really work for a living. There is no industry as such there and there is no real work ethic because of that. That's why corruption is rampant. However, the soils are rich and the area gets a lot of sunny days, that's why the region is known for producing a lot of valuable agricultural products and for being a resort area (at least certain parts of it). And usually people there own houses pretty early in life, due to profits from trade and resorts, as well as illegal activities. Unfortunately, Caucasus has always been a volatile region due to the inhabitants' hot blood and to the fact that many different tribes and nationalities are squised into that small and valuable piece of real estate.
Serious, how are the Roads in the Central cities? Could they use some work? I’m sure the people could, those sort of low skills labour expansion would serve many purposes. One would bypass the corruption by personally overseeing the primary grant and then issuing work to subcontractors, if the subcontractors are in their self so corrupt by pass those companies an bring in subcontractors from outside, who cares about a few corrupt subcontractors it is the workers you will be handing money out to. The lowest skilled workers are also the most likely to be the guys holding a gun somewhere, bring these guys the opportunity to own a house. I bet you could run an equation on 'extremist' and 'general skill level and intelligence' and get interesting results. I'd be inclined to be digging holes and filling them back in again, that sort of thing. once the roots of a basic work system has been established then one would look at begining education and stabilistation.