A Kremlin-Controlled Silicon Valley…

Facing economic woes, the Kremlin has decided that Russia needs the equivalent of a Silicon Valley. Can it succeed unaccompanied by a spirit of free inquiry, Leon Aron asks.

“Only a man or woman free from fear and overseers can build a Silicon Valley. And such men and women are harder and harder to come by in Russia today. Disgusted and scared by the lawlessness and rampant corruption, they tend to shy away from ambitious plans and avoid taking risks.” “”The road to a Russian Silicon Valley starts not in California, Mr. President. It begins with unlocking the door to Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s jail cell.”