As this world we live in continues to turn, many sovereign states are challenged with the pursuit of globalization, and for some, this challenge is not so easy. Russia, for example, is a country that has overcome the communist rule of the Bolsheviks and a period of stagnation under Joseph Stalin. Surely, globalization is within Russia’s best interest, but after a history of neglect and punishment from the global world, Russia has struggled to “get with the times”. So what must Russia do to contribute to the global ecomomy?
Most recently, Russia has been given the honor to host the 2014 Winter Olympics as well as the World Soccer cup in 2018. According to the New York Times article, “Russia Using World Stage to Prove Itself ‘Normal’”, Russian Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said, “Hosting these international events gives us a chance to show as many people as possible that Russia is a normal country. ” Dvorkovich makes a great point. Ever since the Soviet Union, Russia has attempted to seem normal and failed.
Although they have made their step towards Capitalism, Russia has failed to create a Democratic system of government that will eliminate a leader to hold power for extended periods of time. For example, their current President, Putin has held a high position in their government since the late 90’s—making their presidential system seem like a dictatorship. Because of Putin’s rule, Russia’s economy has been moving slowly, like that of the U. S. Yet, globalization has continued to have a positive impact, although the impact is not as large as other democratic states.
According to the article “Lamy hails Russia’s WTO accession ratification” on WTO. org, Russia has been named the 156th member of the World Trade Organization. The article states that in 2011, Russia was the world’s ninth largest exporter in the world and traded $522 billion in goods and $54 billion in services to it’s trading partners. So they are moving in the right direction when it comes to utilizing resources to the fullest. A recent article, “Globalization and the Russian transition” from WilsonCenter. org, explains how past events have delayed action from Russia in the global economy.
Writer Jodi Koehn says “According to Bradshaw (Professor of Human Geography at the University of Leicester), globalization implies a stretching of social, political, and economic activities from across frontiers such that events, decisions, and activities in one region of the world can impact individuals and societies elsewhere. ” Bradshaw elaborates that their view on globalization is blurred due to a disconnect from other sovereign states in the past. He states, “Transition economies have been encouraged to open their crisis-ridden economies to international trade and foreign investment. As this holds true, I believe that Russia must continue to export and trade in order to experience inter-connectedness with the rest of the world. Bibliography 1. “WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION. ” WTO. World Trade Organzization, 23 July 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2013. 2. Jolly, David. “Russia Using World Stage to Prove Itself ‘Normal’. ” The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2013. 3. Koehn, Jodi. “Globalization and the Russian Transition | Wilson Center. ” Globalization and the Russian Transition | Wilson Center. N. p. , n. d. Web. 04 Feb. 2013.
