| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Vodka shortage 'could spark riots' in Russia |
| 2006-01-13 |
| From the Rantburg "Russia in deep Sh*t Desk..... Riots are feared in Russia after a new law forced vodka distilleries to halt production. Analysts predict trouble as shops begin to run out of the national tipple. The new law, endorsed by President Putin on January 1, stipulates that every distillery must have computerised equipment for measuring alcohol levels. Leave it to the The move caught the big distilleries by surprise and brought nationwide production to a standstill. After two weeks of no vodka, even respected newspapers such as the economic journal Vedomosti have started to print panicky front-page headlines, such as 'The vodka is running out!' This looks like a wonderful opportunity for the Russian Mafia to step in and save the nation. Some commentators fear a revolution as more and more Russians turn to violence on discovering empty supermarket shelves. Running out of food is one thing, but running out of vodka is like....running out of water. The state is also suffering huge losses as it usually collects over £3.4 billion pounds in liquor taxes per annum, which works out at about £95m per day. This wouldn't happen in the old Communist system, by golly. Heh. |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #5 Could? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-01-13 20:37 |
| #4 And it's remarkably similar to what's happening in Venezuela under Chavez, albeit with coffee. (I don't know how his attempted nationalization of Polar's facilities worked out... I haven't heard of any shortages in _that_... YET. If you don't know, it's the national beer in Venezuela, it's made from Yucca, and it's pretty good.) I've been wondering lately whether Morales is really a CIA plant, whose job it is to do to Bolivian Cocoa production what Chavez has done to Venezuelan Coffee production, or Putin done to Vodka production. |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-01-13 18:27 |
| #3 It did happen under the old system, during Glasnost. You saw how that worked out. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-01-13 17:13 |
| #2 guess I better stock up on Stoli at Albertsons - it's on sale |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-01-13 17:00 |
| #1 Didn't happen under the old system because they knew no one could live in Russia without revolution and riots unless they were drunk. I thought Putin was smarter than this. |
| Posted by: Jetch Floluse8798 2006-01-13 16:34 |