Russia, frankly, is not a country worthy of existing. They have, for the most part, been a huge anchor on the world and caused innumerable amounts of misery.
There is very little redeeming qualities of russia, and my life has not been made better by anything that has come out of that cold wasteland.
I suppose you would prefer all of Central Asia be illiterate.
In other words: "Those savages would be illiterate had the noble Russians not shouldered the burden of colonizing their land."
The literature I refer to is rather dated, but the implication is that capital transfers reversed in the Soviet period, meaning that Central Asia received more than it produced, at least up to the 60's/70's. Any idiot will tell you that the period also saw marked increases in literacy (and a lessening of the gender disparity regarding such) in the region. That this was not worth the sacrifice that it implied--or, the negative effects of the Soviet Union's overall existence--we both might agree on. That said, it would be beyond idiotic to claim that Russia has produced absolutely nothing of value.
I suppose you would rather we had no periodic table of elements.
I mean, this is the standard pro-imperialist argument. It ignores that capital tends to move to less-developed areas with natural resources even if they are independent. By your argument, Iran should be illiterate since it never had the honor of being under the boot-heel of Soviet overlords.
Indeed, the USSR for all its faults had an illustrious history and Russia would be a much better place if it embraced its progressive Soviet roots. Stop supporting far right politicians and support anti-racism instead. Stop suppressing gay rights and human rights. Support democratic elections instead of trying to hack them. Renounce imperialism in Ukraine and elsewhere.
