Thursday, March 3, 2011

Does Arsenic Taste Like Bitter Almonds

Why Russian industry is dying

Новость на Newsland: Российская промышленность умирает
authorities assure us that the country is all very well, and it's good. Constructed Skolkovo, developing nanotechnology, celebrate the anniversary of the "great" leaders of the Yeltsin and Gorbachev, "liberated" the people from the "accursed past, grow pensions, citizens as never before, rallying around the ruling party and prepare for new elections to vote in tandem, in which fresh and not tired by simultaneous torsion rider pedals whether peresyadut, or not.
But what is happening in the industry, without which, as is well known, and the country - not a country? Talk about it like it is not accepted. Well, except that occasionally show on TV some wretched screwdriver production, where there is kutsee but sparkling equipment and working in clean overalls busily bustling around electric forklifts. That's all.
more valuable for us to fragmentary information, sometimes coming with these companies - large, otrasleobrazuyuschih, yet the Soviet buildings, of which there are foreigners, we do not build and never build will not, because such constructed only at home and for ourselves, but not for the conquered barbarians.

One of these posts recently have been published in the Journal of Skepticism, titled "The Russian industry: the definitive diagnosis. Notes by the engineer. " And had the effect of a cold shower. Industry, we die, and, die very quickly.
«It is well known - the author writes, without naming his business - that the vast majority of existing production facilities inherited from the Soviet times and since then has not been any any significant changes and improvements. "
He expertly analyzes the situation affairs in the engineering industry, as happens in the mission to neighboring businesses and sees that the situation is roughly the same everywhere. "In Russia the early 90's a huge number of pieces of equipment have been canned or not repaired at all, even more - simply destroyed, dismantled for parts or turned into scrap metal. The rest (very, however, a small) part of how we can judge, is now in a rather sorry state. "
pitiful condition is easily explained: "The horror of the situation is that often the equipment is simply impossible to repair, as necessary for this to take parts of nowhere - the producer no longer exists. In my shop it happened with a pair of Soviet CNC machines - they are beyond repair because of inability to fix the electronic control system. I had to completely switch to machines with manual control - is to put it mildly, a clear regression. Local oases, glittering new production lines (eg, Vyksa flatting complex), the scale of Russia can be safely ignored. Heavy Engineering in the 90 years has been dealt a mortal blow, of course, the level of production of machine tools, forging and rolling equipment We dropped in the 30's - 40's of XX century »
equipment works, as long as possible, then stands perfectly still and forget about it. "Not so long ago I had to take part in the inventory of the shop, - continues the story of the author. - Looking through the list of equipment that has ever been found on the sites, I finally convinced that the current production (one of the most "advanced" in modern Russia), in comparison with the Soviet period is nothing more than the scanty remnants - from the former production facilities remained only 10-15%. In practice this means that most of the aisle simply empty or crowded with abandoned tools, machines or even entire automated production lines, the purpose of many of them to me (as any lately come to the plant) is absolutely unknown. These piles of dead gland produces dismal, sometimes recalling the lost fragments of unknown civilization ".
Why unknown? - I want to add. - It even led - the Soviet civilization.
«Complete overhaul - laments the author, - Usually occurs only at a time when the equipment is simply broken, and it jeopardizes the production - and hence profit owner. Say, in my shop to stop the mill for a month to carry out major repairs had to be a huge number of papers for signatures of all key personnel of the plant, explaining why in a short period of time, the number of inappropriate blanks attacks in marriage breakdowns units of the machine, and only after the owner decided to planned downtime. "
By the way, about the owners. After it seems those "effective managers" who are so hard to impose upon us and the fat red-haired, two major privatizer. And what are they?
«On a sad smile I have to listen to Maxim's in that spirit that the owners finally have become smarter, generally care about the development of their enterprises, etc. Each day I see the results of such care. Development of the enterprise must always be connected (at least!) With an increase in production capacity, upgrading production, expanding the range of products, increasing numbers of staff. In the current climate of almost total absence of investment going to upgrade equipment, and constantly renewed "optimize the number of employees" to speak of any development a bit strange. We must bear in mind that the Russian capitalists effective profit is not necessarily associated with industrial growth or development of the enterprise, and the concern for the future. "
That is, the "effective owners" just want to efficiently pump out profits, but not effective develop production.
«Business is much more profitable to exploit the maximum available equipment, maintaining a certain level of profit and for capital investments and favorable loans in the event of an urgent need to go to the State, - concludes the author, who is very well illustrated, the behavior of this same business. - Profitability of providing service, masters and engineers, manage for very little money, the hardest conditions, the morally and physically obsolete equipment to produce competitive products (often for export). Thus, in modern Russian management effectiveness and competence of the owner is almost nothing on impact. Do not forget also that in most cases big property fell into someone's hands after a series of questionable transactions or fraud (in other words, the legitimate owners in Russia are very, very small) - Therefore, almost always in some degree real possibility of weaning the former owner of the company, competitors or the government. "
However, coldness of the owners to invest may be due to other causes: "It is quite possibly the most far-sighted among the capitalists, whose business not associated with the production or transportation of raw materials, have already realized how bleak the prospects of most Russian industries, and therefore not hurry to invest in them their "blood".
Another whip industry - staff, rather lack of them. Stalin once said that the cadres decide everything. But now they are almost gone. The process resembles the one that goes in a sick human body, when the full cells are replaced by useless connective cloth. Competent specialists for various reasons go, but in their place come worthless "managers" who know nothing about technology or production.
«For the first decade after the Soviet collapse in low-skilled (in most cases have found no work in the specialty) manufacturing companies by, filled with lots of amateurs, dropouts, ignorant, and often outright crooks. Over time, and as a result of career people of this sort have taken a number of key positions (with rare exception, and certainly not without the "cronyism").
not better and senior management: senior managers, many of which deal in equipment and technology is simply humiliating, is now willing to believe strongly man who lies charlatans, scoundrels, amateurs with beautifully named diplomas and certificates, and no longer trust the people with great work experience, which manifests itself in a constant reduction of the TDI in the shops. "
remember once smacked his lips mumbler, ryadivshiesya economic guru, shows us that a planned economy - is bad, but the market - wonder how good! So what now running businesses in the market?
«In today's market conditions a basis for planning of the enterprise is a pure voluntarism, - says the author - the plan is based on all orders that could grab "Prodazhnikam, and continues to be supplemented for a month (it seems that way," senior "managers try to curry favor with the owner). Any warnings from the guild leadership that the plan can not be made for objective reasons (the calculations equipment loading, performance furnaces and units of time on mechanical tests, etc.) are not perceived as an attempt to deliberately reduce the profits and give up their official duties ".
And our eternal pride - the aviation and rocket science - there is something, perhaps, things are better? Alas, no
«Until some time I myself have entertained some illusions with respect to domestic aviation and rocketry. I - as a metallurgist - specialists of aviation or missile plant is spirits; sverhkompetentnymi, experienced professionals who are not aware failures and ability to solve complex and diverse problems. Topics more cruel was my disappointment. In the mission I had to interact with the shy and zashorennymi people completely otvykshimi from serious work. Apparently, the constant downtime, lack of new orders, challenges and use only the older developments lead to the fact that even with the Soviet industrial workers experience these plants gradually lose their qualifications, and their behavior and outlook are similar for clerical workers.
level of competence has fallen dramatically and there: "I had to get to the aircraft manufacturing plants in the complaint suitable parts, whose dimensions have not been properly measured caliper (sic!), inability to deal with specialist engine builders to use the Soviet OSTami and guests on relevant topics, in general, to meet roughly the same setbacks and the decline of that in my professional field. "
And what's the conclusion? Alas, he's the most disappointing: "The Russian industry is dying. Even in its present miserable form of existence it remains not for long. Confidently talk about it can completely clear signs of regression: all obsolete equipment, which often have no meaning and the possibility of repair; technology is stuck in the best case of 80-ies of XX century prolonged absence of new research and development; purposeful destruction system of higher technical education, leading to a catastrophic drop in the level of training of engineers of all disciplines; worthless and ineffective management of enterprises and industries in general; permanent reduction and optimization of the number "of personnel engaged in the production of coupled with an abnormal increase in the number of jobs for white-collar, a total forgetfulness or loss of the Soviet experience short-and long-term planning; absolute unpopularity and prestige of the production occupations, permanent lack of investment in plant development.
As was the case with education, science, etc., all these trends carefully masked and silent power. Expect and hope for the that the process of degeneration can somehow stop or reverse without taking drastic measures, it would be unwise and shortsighted. Toadyism on the Soviet legacy can not last forever. In the coming years, when the latter retires specialists with Soviet production experience, and to replace them come like barbarians or Papuan graduates beginning of the XXI century, there will be a giant roll back the country in all positions.
Militant ignorance of higher technical managers in conjunction with negligence and incompetence of engineers set lower and middle levels will inevitably lead to some serious man-made disasters. Come the dark years. After some time, Russia will again be ignorant and undeveloped country with a poor and fragmented population, living in one-dimensional world of illusions (of course, with the exception of the representatives of the comprador and parasitic elite "middle class").
From Russia industry is likely to remain only factories of components for large Western firms, or "screwdriver" (conveyor) of the enterprise; moreover, in both cases, the foreign owners will inevitably be interested in maintaining, if not exacerbate, poverty, the bulk of the population (and for what then even the transfer of production to third world countries?). Wait for it remains not for long.
Peering into the future awaits us, we must once and for all goodbye to the harmful illusion that the status quo is normal. Should be harsh and ruthless sobering associated exemption from all imposed by the ruling class ideas and ideals. It should be understood that the situation in Russia today is comparable to the occupation cruel and inhuman enemy, and that rescue Russian industry under the existing defective socio-economic system is impossible. Stop its degradation can only be a radical transformation of social reality "- the author concludes.
Liberals like to spend too much time saying, that if something is there does not happen, "we wake up in another country." But we're already in her wake - 20 years ago. It is, this country has no clear goals or coherent policy. Not knowing herself, she knows where rushing and still holds the remnants of the Soviet past ...

Romanov Alexander
Source: news.km.ru



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