Max Skibinsky - No Russian, or what means the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to Silicon Valley Bashny.Net

Serial entrepreneur from California, legendary partner of venture fund Andreessen Horowitz Max Skibinsky emigrated from Russia in the 90's and today by watching foreign policy of aggression waged by the Putin government. In his blog, he tried to convey to the residents of Silicon Valley is that, in his opinion, is really going on behind the scenes of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He talked about why creative Russians forced to flee the country, why the Kremlin is afraid of the Ukrainians, and what it all means for the Silicon Valley. AIN.UA publishes a translation of his article.



"Many in Silicon Valley over the years have asked me why I rarely go back to Russia (I went there only once in 20 years), or why I did not help the Russian start-ups. I usually answer such questions with platitudes and keep my dark thoughts and predictions to themselves. Unfortunately, the events of the last few days have shown that my fears were not in vain. The nightmare scenario is unfolding before our eyes, and the position of Russia in the world changed forever.

The massacre of passengers crashed aircraft Malaysia Airlines, which was struck with Russian weapons in the hands of the Russian military unit, show the world that Russia is now involved in crimes against humanity. An interesting twist to the country, which six months ago was a full-fledged member of the global community, though quite angry member. How could it be that all so quickly and dramatically changed?

The Empire of Lies h6>

- How did you become bankrupt?
- Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.
Ernest Hemingway blockquote>
To understand why Russia persistently slipping into the abyss, we must recognize one very simple and ugly (including me) the truth of what many suspect but remain silent: Russia was and remains a failed state. What we see - this is only a facade mimics the functionality of the country and the government. High oil prices, the Soviet Union and the residual infrastructure massive propaganda supporting this illusion more than a decade.

In simple terms, Russia - a mafia state. From Moscow to the small towns on the periphery of all controlled mafia clans. The police and courts are part of the most powerful of them. As a rule, they condone extortion or theft of property from local small and medium businesses. And big business - it is an object mafia wars between clans in Russia.

Formation of a mafia state was a logical consequence of the Russian economy: it is totally dependent on oil and gas industries. Oil, gas and their derivatives provide a decent standard of living around a million people. But in Russia, lived about 150 million - how do they survive? Depend on government handouts.

The oil industry in the "Russian style" does not need innovators, or even the smartest employees. All you have to do - is to cash the check blockquote>
"Gazprom" is recognized as one of the most blatantly inefficient enterprises in the world. So, what happens when a small group of people openly incompetent controls of petroleum rent state level, while the remaining 149 million people remain a burden on the budget? The answer is obvious: this creates a one million mafia country to hold the remaining 149 million in check police, courts and mass propaganda.

Russian propaganda machine is so powerful today that it has surpassed the Soviet. Official TV in Russia lies in a professional and regular basis. There are no independent TV channels, all controlled by the government. In newsrooms employ special teams who edit video from the field in such a way as to distort the meaning of the desired angle and to output fully rigged video for TV broadcast. Then these false stories brainwashed civilian population.

Statistically, the population of Russia, if you take an average, not very clever. Many degraded by overdoses of drugs or alcohol. A large segment of the population over the age esteemed still lives Soviet ideals and never tried to get along with the modern world. Many of these people do not work in the sense in which we understand the word "work" - they "occupy" positions, sponsored by the Government.

All his life being dependent on the state, they are not psychologically able to assume that the government could do something wrong blockquote>
Relatives, wives, children of the Russian elite (1% of the million involved in the oil mafia clans) do not live in their country. They reject Russia and Russians. Mostly they live in the West, many people - in London: Russian oligarchic families make a big contribution to the economy of London. They are absolutely not interested in the future of Russia and the survival of its population.

Corruption and theft are endemic. The last Olympic Games were the most expensive in the history of mankind, not because everything is so well built - they have become established because mafia clans steal money unimaginable scale.

Today's Russia - this is not a weaker version of the Soviet "evil empire." She fortunately long gone. Russia - is a cargo cult of the Soviet empire. In its acute lack of qualified professionals, leaders and the minimum work ethic that would help to cope with such a huge edifice. All that it lacks - is to keep flowing veil of lies and propaganda as long as possible to exploit the population and wealth pumped from Russia to London.

The best way to understand Russia - imagine a steep pyramid. At the top of settled oligarchs, affiliated with the KGB. They run more or less competent middle managers (who steal whatever they can), sits on degraded brainwashed masses who live on their handouts.

Of course, the most toxic environment for the incubation of start-up ecosystem that you can imagine.

Creative Class h6>
Despite the Herculean efforts of the government to roll back the medieval technical and scientific progress back into the past, the world of innovation is stronger. Internet and mobile technology form the so-called "creative class" in Russia. Mostly, these guys are young, smart, energetic, and well aware of how to use technology to get to the truth and to achieve their goals. They were the main organizers of the December 2011 protests against Putin's mafia clans. When you see the clever Russian programmer in Silicon Valley, most likely, you see a representative of the creative class.

Still, Macbook Pro Retina dubious weapons against armed with Kalashnikovs government thugs blockquote>
Propaganda and intimidation work on a massive scale. It is easier to be blunt and "patriotic" than smart and curious (even the US population to learn this hard lesson after the Iraq invasion).

Creative class was a minority in modern Russia, there escalates behavior which increasingly drains his oasis. This class of people with the skills, more common in Europe and the United States. Throughout the "peace" decade of Putin's dictatorship more than two million people emigrated from Russia - more than after the communist revolution and civil war.

In my estimation, it's a few hundred thousand representatives of Russian creative class. This weak voice of a small group of people could never break through the wall of a mafia state. But recently things have changed.

Ukrainian prowess h6>
Differences Ukrainians from Russian beauty. The distance from Kiev to Moscow about the same as from Sacramento to San Diego. And even today, after all that happened in the streets of Kiev, you will likely hear are Russian, not Ukrainian. So why does the Kremlin was so furious because of the revolution in Ukraine? After all, Ukraine has no oil and gas, there are no resources and nothing to share - so what all the fuss?

What happened was that a large number of ethnic "Russian" to rise up and throw off the mafia clan. Before that Ukraine had a Russian satellite, and that's because neither gas nor oil it does not, it had to develop within the creative class rather than just go to work in the oil company or the police forces.

And one day it turned out that the Ukrainian creative class has enough strength and valor to come and reset the local mafia don blockquote>
Try to imagine how awful this has generated in the gang, which now occupies the Kremlin. This is a huge threat to them, therefore, they have released all possible spikes to disconnect and destabilize the new government in Kiev and at the same time provoke mass hysteria and xenophobia among the local population.

At the moment, the Kremlin really can not stop. When the Kiev government survives, it is likely to prove the advantages of fast nemafioznogo system and a free economy. Large parasitic class that lives bribery and extortion, disappear - and it will have the same effect as suddenly halve all existing taxes in the country.

Then the creative class in Russia quickly notice, and disseminate information about the growth of welfare and the new opportunities that are opening in the city next door. And half of Europe focused on progressive people suddenly turn into a million, and then a few million - and now you can draw a scenario for Kadafi Kremlin gang.

The Kremlin is fighting for its own survival: it costs nothing to ensure terrorists weapons and military support, given the resources at their disposal.

Brand "Russia" is dead h6>
The situation will be injected, and before everything will have to go through a complete collapse. The Kremlin will fight to the end we will see a huge flow of lies, that he would send out to soften their anger on the massacres. Unfortunately all they do, they will be clothed in the brand "Russia" or "Russian". We can not say that the rest of the population is innocent: Putin received incredible support of 71% after the annexation of the Crimea. Many members of the creative class do a logical step - to surrender and leave the country. Most likely, we will see a new wave of emigration from Russia sverhmassovoy in the coming years.

I think we are on the verge - where Russia as a cultural and global brand is about to die. For a time the country whose future is destroyed, and the form of government has become a police state, will tell their citizens brainwashed tale about how they fought the Nazis and the "rotten West».

What does all this mean for Silicon Valley h6>
Wait for a wave of summary of Russia
Be careful not to confuse the creative class - a few hundred brave souls who try to swim against the current extremely dangerous - with the rest of the Russian population, who brainwashed.

Help Ukraine
Boycott everything that has to do with the Russian government , and its associated companies and financial institutions. Any order that you are pointing to them, only strengthens the regime. Your dollar contract to pay the next rocket launch from "Buka».

Personally, I'm thinking about what to call themselves the Euro-Slav, not Russian. This contrived defense, but the brand "Russian" gulag after infection and other poisonous legacy, has become synonymous with the mass murder of innocent civilians. Left values, which would help him rehabilitate ».

Max Skibinsky

ain.ua/2014/07/21/533540