I don't have the background to assess all this but it's interesting & eye opening. The mafia issue is one thing that apparently causes Russians to appreciate Putin. Just like some Iraquis feared the sectarian violence without Hussein, a lot of Russians appear to fear the criminal violence without Putin which makes it all the crueler that he never even bothered to build a state that would function after he dies...just for that little bit of assurance he could not be deposed.
I don't have the background to assess all this but it's interesting & eye opening. The mafia issue is one thing that apparently causes Russians to appreciate Putin. Just like some Iraquis feared the sectarian violence without Hussein, a lot of Russians appear to fear the criminal violence without Putin which makes it all the crueler that he never even bothered to build a state that would function after he dies...just for that little bit of assurance he could not be deposed.