My wife and I have a recent Russian immigrant living with us. She's lucky that the soviets fell by the time she was 10 years old. She calls the 40 somethings of Russia "the wasted generation". Many of those people live in total dependancy on alcohol, drugs, and charity.
I know many of them in their 40's and 50's she is correct. What is the point of doing a good job or working hard if there is no incentive and no choice? Most people don't or won't motivate themselves just because.