'''Question:''' Is [[business ]] more powerful than [[military ]] might?
== Why business is more powerful than military might ==
Consider:
=== America, the most powerful country in the world. It's power is its army of talented business people is more powerful than its military ===
[[Image:Calvin Coolidge cph.3g10777.jpg|thumb|250px|right|"The business of America is business." - [[Calvin Coolidge]] ]]
[[Calvin Coolidge]] famously said "The business of America is business." America's greater strength is not its military might, it's the greater strength is its army of business people and its natural resources.
Behold, the strength of America's business people in the essays below:
=== Apple's market cap is larger than all but 6 of world's top economies ===
[[Image:Jobs.jpg|thumb|right|thumbnail|200px|[[Steve Jobs]] was the founder of Apple Inc. ]]
*[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apples-market-cap-larger-6-022646857.html Apple's market cap is larger than all but 6 of world's top economies], Yahoo Finance, 2023
In September 2023, US President Joe Biden visited Vietnam. Hosted by the Secretary-General of the Communist Party, Vietnam’s most senior official, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership. This marks the latest stage in an extraordinary turnaround in relations between two countries that once fought a bitter and brutal war. But how did it develop? And what lies behind this change? See: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo2z0UJsluU VIETNAM | America's New Ally?].
So what does this "comprehensive strategic partnership" mainly entail? It mainly consists of business and economic interests of course.
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev in Vietnam 31 October 2010-2.jpeg|thumbnail|center|500px|Communist Vietmanese soldiers laying a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Soldiers who engage in goose stepping drum up quite a thirst. No doubt they will quench it with a Coca Cola! USA! USA! USA!]]
=== The talent war in our technological age where innovation is important . Company recruiters are more powerful than military recruiters ===
''See also:'' [[Essay: Top 12 reasons why people are flocking to the USA and leaving the corrupt, authoritarian countries of China and Russia|Top 12 reasons why people are flocking to the USA and leaving the corrupt, authoritarian countries of China and Russia]] and [[Essay: Size of a working age population in a country and its correlation with national GNP in advanced economies. The ability of the United States to attract some of the best and brightest workers in the world|Size of a working age population in a country and its correlation with national GNP in advanced economies. The ability of the United States to attract some of the best and brightest workers in the world]]
And he offers a set of policy solutions that can prevent the growing exponential gap from fragmenting, weakening, or even destroying our societies. The result is a wholly new way to think about technology, one that will transform our understanding of the economy, politics, and the future.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Exponential-Age-Accelerating-Technology-Transforming/dp/1635769094 ''The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology is Transforming Business, Politics and Society''</ref>}}
=== Wars kill a nation's citizens. Size of a working age population in a country and its correlation with national GNP in advanced economies ===
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[[File:Elon Musk Demographic Crisis is real.jpg|thumbnail|350px|center|“One of the biggest risks to civilization is the low birth rate and rapidly declining birthrate.” - the American businessman Elon Musk<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/14/demographic-winter-the-plague-of-the-century/ Demographic winter: The plague of the century], Washington Times, 2021</ref>]]
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“One of the biggest risks to civilization is the low birth rate and rapidly declining birthrate.” - [[Elon Musk]]<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/14/demographic-winter-the-plague-of-the-century/ Demographic winter: The plague of the century], Washington Times, 2021</ref>
"There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who believe the defining challenge of the 21st century will be [[Global warming|climate change]], and those who know that it will be the birth dearth, the population bust, the old age of the world." - Ross Douthat, token [[conservative]] at the ''[[New York Times]]''.<ref>[https://www.mercatornet.com/which_is_more_frightening_global_warming_or_demographic_winter Which is more frightening: global warming or demographic winter?] by LOUIS T. MARCH</ref>
Wars are costly in terms of a country's human capital. And many countries have below replacement fertility levels in their nation. See: [[Essay: The coming demographic winter]]
'''Examples of excellent articles/documentaries/videos on an impending demographic winter in the world:'''
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9nvsv9e6DY Stephen J Shaw: The surprising truth about world fertility rates], TRT World video
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZeyYIsGdAA Demographic Winter - the decline of the human family] - Film documentary
*[https://www.visualcapitalist.com/when-will-the-global-population-reach-its-peak/ When Will the Global Population Reach Its Peak?], 2023
==== In advanced economies, there is a high correlation between the size of a country's working-age population and its national gross national product (GNP) ====
In advanced economies, there is a high correlation between the size of a country's working-age population and its national [[Gross National Product|gross national product]] (GNP).<ref>[https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/Wealth_Working_Nations.pdf ''The Wealth of Working Nations''] by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Gustavo Ventura, and Wen Yao, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 2023</ref>
The abstract for the 2023 academic paper ''The Wealth of Working Nations'' published by Department of [[Economics]], University of Pennsylvania by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Gustavo Ventura, and Wen Yao indicates:
{{Cquote|Due to population aging, GDP growth per capita and GDP growth per working-age adult have become quite different among many advanced economies over the last several decades. Countries whose GDP growth per capita performance has been lackluster, like Japan, have done surprisingly well in terms of GDP growth per working-age adult. Indeed, from 1998 to 2019, Japan has grown slightly faster than the U.S. in terms of per working-age adult: an accumulated 31.9% vs. 29.5%. Furthermore, many advanced economies appear to be on parallel balanced growth trajectories in terms of working-age adults despite important differences in levels. Motivated by this observation, we calibrate a standard neoclassical growth model in which the growth of the working-age adult population varies in line with the data for each economy. Despite the underlying demographic differences, the calibrated model tracks output per working-age adult in most economies of our sample. Our results imply that the growth behavior of mature, aging economies is not puzzling from a theoretical perspective.<ref>[https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/Wealth_Working_Nations.pdf ''The Wealth of Working Nations''] by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Gustavo Ventura, and Wen Yao, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 2023</ref>}}
[[File:National GDP levels and working age levels and national GDP.jpg|center|1000px]]
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[[File:National GDP levels and working age levels and national GDP 2.jpg|center|1000px]]
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[[File:National GDP levels and working age levels and national GDP 3.jpg|center|1000px]]
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=== Business is more powerful than military might. Graphs built on a great wealth of compelling data don't lie! ===
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[[File:The Great Powers Gap 2022.jpg|thumbnail|3500px|center|"The United States and China are undoubtedly the two most powerful countries, but at least one more country must be roughly in their league for multipolarity to exist. This is where claims of multipolarity fall apart. Every country that could plausibly rank third—France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom—is in no way a rough peer of the United States or China." -[https://archive.ph/I2bFZ The Myth of Multipolarity], American Power’s Staying Power, ''Foreign Affairs'', 2023
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However, a number of leading geopolitical analysts are skeptical about China remaining a global power as it faces a number of serious intractable problems (See: [[Essay:Skepticism about China remaining a global power|Skepticism about China remaining a global power]]).
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I do agree with [[Donald Trump]] that America should not get into "endless wars" that do not serve America's vital interests.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-wars/trump-to-west-point-grads-we-are-ending-the-era-of-endless-wars-idUSKBN23K0PR Trump to West Point grads: 'We are ending the era of endless wars'], ''Reuters'', June 13, 2022</ref> I also agree with Trump's policy of not using the American military to "solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands".<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-wars/trump-to-west-point-grads-we-are-ending-the-era-of-endless-wars-idUSKBN23K0PR Trump to West Point grads: 'We are ending the era of endless wars'], ''Reuters'', June 13, 2022</ref>]]
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[[File:Economic power of the United States and China.png|1250px|thumbnail|center|For more information, please see: [https://archive.ph/PTTbn#selection-4637.0-4637.56 Good Economic News Keeps Putting US Ahead in Cold War II], Bloomberg New, 2024]]
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[[File:US dollar to Chinese yuan.png|thumbnail|1200px|center|U.S. dollar to Chinese yuan exchange rate on April 19, 2024.
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In January 2024, Yahoo Finance rated the U.S. dollar the strongest currency in the world.<ref>[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-strongest-currencies-world-2024-132602145.html 15 Strongest Currencies in the World in 2024], Yahoo Finance, January 2024.</ref> In April 2024, Forbes ranked the U.S. dollar the 10th strongest currency.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/advisor/money-transfer/highest-currencies-in-the-world/ Top 10 Strongest Currencies In The World In April 2024], Forbes, April 2024</ref>
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See also:
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*[https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/will-us-dollar-be-dethroned Will the U.S. Dollar Be Dethroned?] by Charles Schwabb, April 2023
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*[https://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex-currencies/091416/what-would-it-take-us-dollar-collapse.asp What It Would Take for the U.S. Dollar to Collapse], Investopedia, 2024 ]]
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[[File:USA GNP growth from january 1947 to January 2023.jpg|1250px|thumbnail|center|Chart of the growth of U.S. [[Gross National Product|GNP]] from January 1947 to January 2023.
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A great strength of the United States is its very consistent growth of its GNP over decades and its quick recovery the few times its GNP has gone down.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4eIbWdfdZk Should You Be Bullish on America?]</ref>
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In addition, research indicates that in the long-term, non-[[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] countries are more likely to experience greater economic growth. See: [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1010748 Time Under Authoritarian Rule and Economic Growth], CORI Working Paper No. 2007-02
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For more information on this topic, please see:
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*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4eIbWdfdZk Should You Be Bullish on America?]
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHfsk8iL_C0 Why is America so rich?]
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*[[Essay: Size of a working age population in a country and its correlation with national GNP in advanced economies. The ability of the United States to attract some of the best and brightest workers in the world|Size of a working age population in a country and its correlation with national GNP in advanced economies. The ability of the United States to attract some of the best and brightest workers in the world]]
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*[[Essay: Slow and steady growth over the long term via capitalism and the rule of law versus short-sighted authoritarian economic growth that is costly to the long term economy|Slow and steady growth over the long term via capitalism and the rule of law versus short-sighted authoritarian economic growth that is costly to the long term economy]] ]]
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[[File:Map of labor productivity around the world.png|thumbnail|1250px|center|Investopedia says about the importance of labor productivity to an economy, "Labor productivity is largely driven by investment in capital, technological progress, and human capital development. Labor productivity is directly linked to improved standards of living in the form of higher consumption."<ref>[https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/labor-productivity.asp Labor Productivity: What It Is, How to Calculate & Improve It], Investopedia</ref>
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According to Yahoo Finance: "According to Yahoo Finance: "Efficiency in production, also coined as productivity, is one of the major driving forces behind economic resilience in a country... The United States has one of the strongest economies in the world. The country hosts some of the largest companies in the world, which contributes to the high GDP per capita in the country."<ref>[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/25-most-productive-countries-per-185738034.html 25 Most Productive Countries Per Capita], Yahoo Finance</ref>
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As can be seen in the map above, the USA has one of the highest labor productivity rates in the world and it is significantly higher than both China and Russia.<ref>[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-productive-countries Most Productive Countries 2024]</ref>
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For more information, please see: [[Essay: The USA has one of the highest labor productivity rates in the world - significantly higher than both China and Russia|The USA has one of the highest labor productivity rates in the world - significantly higher than both China and Russia|The USA has one of the highest labor productivity rates in the world - significantly higher than both China and Russia]] ]]
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[[File:World's most innovative countries 2023.jpg|thumbnail|center|600px|right|Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore are the world’s most innovative economies in 2023, according to WIPO’s Global Innovation Index (GII), as a group of middle-income economies have emerged over the past decade as the fastest climbers of the ranking.<ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2019-08-08/us-returns-to-top-3-in-global-innovation-ranking The U.S. Is (Again) Among the World's Top Innovators], U.S. News and World Report, 2023</ref><ref>[https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2023/article_0011.html#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20(3rd,80%20GII%202023%20innovation%20indicators. Global Innovation Index 2023: Switzerland, Sweden and the U.S. lead the Global Innovation Ranking; Innovation Robust but Startup Funding Increasingly Uncertain]</ref><ref>[https://www.statista.com/chart/18804/rankings-of-the-global-innovation-index/The World's Most Innovative Countries], Statista website, 2023</ref>]]
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[[File:Countries with the most diverse economies.jpg|thumbnail|1000px|center|The USA was among the most 10 most diverse economies in 2018 according to the Word Atlas website.<ref>[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-most-diverse-economies.html#:~:text=Most%20Diverse%20Economies-,Japan,the%20sophistication%20of%20its%20exports. Countries With The Most Diverse Economies]</ref>
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Read the articles: [https://www.amarilloedc.com/blog/the-importance-of-a-diversified-economy#:~:text=A%20diversified%20economy%20creates%20a,the%20growth%20of%20supporting%20industries. The Importance Of A Diversified Economy] and [https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/reports/strategyand-resilient-stable-sustainable-benefits-economic-diversification.pdf ''Resilient, stable, sustainable: The benefits of economic diversification''] ]]
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[[File:The USA is outproducing Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production. The best is yet to come.jpg|thumbnail|center|1200px|In August of 2023, the USA was outproducing Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production.<ref>[https://realinvestmentadvice.com/us-oil-production-hits-records/ ''US Oil Production Hits Records'']</ref>. The best is yet to come!<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/video/6342454631112 Donald Trump promises to drill for oil, close southern border on first day as president]</ref><ref>[https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/The-Oil-And-Gas-Workers-Association-Endorses-Trump-For-2024-Vote.html The Oil And Gas Workers’ Association Endorses Trump For 2024 Vote]</ref>
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The U.S. Energy Information System reported in 2023: "Strong continuing international demand for petroleum and other liquids will sustain U.S. production above 2022 levels through 2050, according to most of the cases we examined in our Annual Energy Outlook 2023 (AEO2023). We project that the United States will continue to be an integral part of global oil markets and a significant source of supply in these cases, as increased exports of finished products support U.S. production."<ref>[https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=56041 U.S. production of petroleum and other liquids to be driven by international demand]</ref>
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For more information, please see: [[Essay: The USA is outproducing Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production. The best is yet to come|The USA is outproducing Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production. The best is yet to come]] ]]
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[[File:China's long-term economic outlook weakens.jpg|thumbnail|center|1200px|China is no longer set to eclipse the US as the world’s biggest economy soon, and it may never consistently pull ahead to claim the top spot as the nation’s confidence slump becomes more entrenched.
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That’s according to Bloomberg Economics, which now forecasts it will take until the mid-2040s for China’s gross domestic product to exceed that of the US — and even then, it will happen by “only a small margin” before “falling back behind.”
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Before the pandemic, they expected China to take and hold pole position as early as the start of next decade.<ref>[https://archive.md/H91Xk China Slowdown Means It May Never Overtake US Economy, Forecast Shows], ''Bloomberg News'', September 5, 2023</ref>
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See: [[Essay:Skepticism about China remaining a global power|Skepticism about China remaining a global power]]
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In addition, please see:
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*[[Chinese real estate crisis (2020–present)]]
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*[[Chinese stock markets|Chinese stock markets crisis]] (Since 2021, China’s stock markets have lost about $7 trillion in value.<ref>[https://www.marketplace.org/2024/02/06/why-chinas-stock-market-struggling/ What’s going on with China’s stock market?], MarketPlace.org</ref>)
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*[[Youth unemployment in China]] ]]
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[[File:Russian GNP 1991 to 2023.jpg|thumbnail|center|1200px|Russian GNP 1991 to August 2023.
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Estimates of Russian GNP 1991 to August 2023 measured in US [[fiat dollars]]; exchange rates between the dollar and the ruble ended in March 2022 when the ruble became a gold-backed currency.
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Recently, the Russian ruble has seen a big decline:
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*[https://archive.md/xJuj3#selection-4295.8-4295.22 Russia’s War-Torn Economy Hits Its Speed Limit: Economists see this week’s currency gyrations not as the beginning of a financial crisis but rather as a symptom of the Kremlin’s sclerotic economic prospects], ''Wall Street Journal'', August 2023
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*[https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-minister-now-us-truck-driver-salary-same-ruble-crashed-2023-8 The Russian ruble hit a 16-month low this week and is one of the worst performing currencies in 2023], August, 2023
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*[https://www.barrons.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-081523/card/russia-cranks-interest-rates-to-12-in-emergency-move-supporting-ruble-qZIrzuCgo6bOG4LVggRQ Russia Cranks Interest Rates to 12% in Emergency Move Supporting Ruble], Barron's, August 2023
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*[https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/russia-economy-crash-ruble-imports-account-finance-putin-moscow-ukraine-2023-7 5 stats show how Russia's economy is declining], Business Insider, 2023]]
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=== Russia is dying out. The war in Ukraine is making Russia's demographic crisis even worse ===
See: [[Essay: Russia is dying out. The war in Ukraine is making Russia's demographic crisis even worse|Russia is dying out. The war in Ukraine is making Russia's demographic crisis even worse]]
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[[File:Putin I'm not bluffing.PNG|thumbnail|200px|center|Russian demography has long been an existential issue to [[Essay: Vladimir Putin is a corrupt kleptocrat and an authoritarian|Vladimir Putin]]. In 2021, he declared “saving the people of Russia is our top national priority".<ref>[https://fortune.com/2022/10/18/russia-population-historic-decline-emigration-war-plunging-birth-rate-form-perfect-storm/ Russia’s population is in a historic decline as emigration, war and a plunging birth rate form a ‘perfect storm’], Fortune magazine, 2022</ref> ]]
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=== Vladimir Putin's foolish decision to launch an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ===
*[[Essay: Vladimir Putin's foolish decision to launch an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022|Vladimir Putin's foolish decision to launch an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022]]
=== Nuclear bomb saber-rattling by drunk government officials is not impressive - ever! ===
See: [[Essay: Doomsday phobias - including nucleomituphobia caused by Russian threats to use a nuclear bomb|Doomsday phobias - including nucleomituphobia caused by Russian threats to use a nuclear bomb]]
[[File:04656 market in Sanok.JPG|thumbnail|300px|right|In 2023, Russia had the second highest alcoholism rate in the world as far as it being a problem with both genders.<ref>[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcoholism-by-country Alcoholism by country]</ref> In addition, in 2023 Russia had the highest alcoholism rate for males.<ref>[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcoholism-by-country Alcoholism by country]</ref> ]]
In 2023, Russia had the second highest [[alcoholism]] rate in the world as far as it being a problem with both genders.<ref>[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcoholism-by-country Alcoholism by country]</ref> In addition, in 2023 Russia had the highest alcoholism rate for males.<ref>[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcoholism-by-country Alcoholism by country]</ref> In 2019, it was reported that every year 500,000 people die due to alcohol in Russia.<ref>[https://www.obserwatorfinansowy.pl/in-english/macroeconomics/demographic-crisis-in-russia/ Demographic crisis in Russia]</ref>
''The New York Post'' reported on June 14, 2023:
{{Cquote|Vladimir Putin’s stressed-out Kremlin staffers — along with prominent politicians, governors and members of Russia’s elite — have been hitting the bottle harder than ever since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to a new report.
The independent Russian-language news website Verstka reported, citing interviews with multiple sources within Russia’s political and business circles, that alcoholism has become increasingly commonplace among Putin’s cronies.
“Let’s put in this way: Previously, not everyone within the president’s administration would start the day with a glass of vodka,” one person familiar with the matter told the outlet. “Now, I know many more people who do, and for some, a glass has turned into a bottle.”
Even some of the most senior officials are not immune to alcohol addiction: Verstka reported that former president Dmitry Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council, often writes his saber-rattling Telegram posts threatening the West with nuclear annihilation while deep in his cups.<ref>[https://nypost.com/2023/06/14/putins-staff-start-each-day-with-bottle-of-vodka-report/ Putin’s ‘stressed’ administration staff start each day with bottle of vodka: report], ''The New York Post'', June 14, 2023</ref>}}
On June 14, 2023, ''The Daily Mail'' reported in a story entitled ''Vladimir Putin's administration staff 'are starting the day with a bottle of vodka' and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev is 'often drunk when he writes his apocalyptic threats of nuclear war''':
{{Cquote|That's according to the exiled Russian newspaper Verstka, which has spoken to several sources close to the administration.
The newspaper reports that consumption among Putin's closest associates has increased sharply since the invasion of Ukraine.
'Not everyone in the presidential administration started the day with a glass of vodka earlier,' one source told the newspaper. 'Now I know many more who do it, and with some the glass has become a bottle.'
Sources also claim Dmitry Medvedev, currently the deputy head of the country's security council, is drinking excessively.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12193309/Putins-administration-staff-starting-day-bottle-vodka.html ''Vladimir Putin's administration staff 'are starting the day with a bottle of vodka' and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev is 'often drunk when he writes his apocalyptic threats of nuclear war'''], Daily Mail, June 14, 2023</ref>}}
==References==