If anyone understands the perils of big, ever growing government, it would certainly be a Russian who lived and worked at the end of the Soviet era. The era ended when the government simply collapsed onto itself. Speaking to uber elites at a conclave in Davos Putin’s  words should be noted here in the west:

Putin seemed to focus much of his speech on market incentives. “It is important to avoid making decisions, even in such force majeure circumstances, that we will regret in the future,” he said towards the middle of his address. “This is why I would first like to mention specific measures which should be avoided and which will not be implemented by Russia.”

Here Putin seemed to capitalize on the past experience Russia had with excessive government control.

“We must not revert to isolationism and unrestrained economic egotism,” he said, citing that although the protectionist measures “we all are observing” are inevitable, we still need to know where to stop.

“Excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence is another possible mistake.”(Moscow News)

In the US the policies currently being persued by Preisdent Obama and congress feel a bit too much like the policies Putin warned against.

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