Quote from Hydroblunt:
From 1990 to around 1996 or 97, there was almost no interference from the state in Russia. In fact, a heavy criticism to the emergence of the oligarchs is the fact that the government did absolutely nothing as these guys were grabbing assets for less than pennies on the dollar. The problem was that the transition to a capitalist system in Russia was without even barely adequate regulations and overseeing. It was just a free-for-all, obviously those in better positions and with better contacts quickly succeeded above the rest. There are a few books on the subject, it is unconceivable to most what happened and that it was allowed to happen.
You have to learn about what happened in Russia at the time before you can claim that it was not laissez faire. To the contrary, it was probably the most laissez faire environment in modern society.
The capitalism proponents rarely want to face the truth. Free trade/laissez faire as a superior system is a fairy tale. Of course if you are the one at the top of the food chain, it is a fairy tale, at least before the greed consumes you.
Most people assume that America has Capitalism. No. America has what I call Corportate Feudalism. So does Russia. But I call it.......Putinism.