The Roller Coaster of the Russian Economy: A New Test of the Basic Mechanics

It pays not to pay your bills. The truth of this statement is self-evident in the short run only. In the long or medium run, they will come after you, cut off your supplies, and seize your assets. But what if they won’t come after you? Better yet, what if you can make the government pay your bills? Then (moral considerations aside), it pays not to pay your bills and to make the government pay. Some people actually do this in the U.S., for example, federal employees who charge personal purchases to a government credit card. The Russian enterprise network operates on the same principle.