New York Times Doesn't Have Access to Data on Russia's GDP

That is the inevitable conclusion for readers of a NYT article on Putin and Russia that had the headline, "Russia is a mess. Why is Putin such a formidable enemy." While the article notes the recent economic stagnation in Russia, it misses the extraordinary turnaround that took place under Putin.

According to I.M.F. data, Russia's per capita income fell by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 1998.

Source: International Monetary Fund.

 

This unprecedented peace time collapse took place...