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Russia’s Premier Economic Forum: Family Values and ‘Life Without the West’
On the ground: St. Petersburg prostitutes complain about the influx of inexpensive male prostitutes from the regions, and Russia welcomes the Taliban.
The man in this screen grab is telling the audience and his fellow panelists that it is imperative to stop “LGBTQ nationalism and extremism” in Russia. No one dares interrupt him or even offer any sane arguments for his lunacy because his message is the official Kremlin line. Welcome to Russia’s premier economic forum, The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum ’24 (SPIEF).
Russia’s economic forum used to be about economics and economic development. The last time I worked in a company that participated when things were mostly about improving the economic situation was in 2018. I spoke in several panel discussions about how blockchain could be used to prevent the flood of counterfeit products from China. Representatives from many companies, including Proctor & Gamble and Henkel, approached me afterward to continue the discussion and find ways we could all collaborate. Counterfeit items from China sold through Alibaba still affect everyone to this day.
