Hematophages, or blood-suckers, are animals that feed on the blood of other animals and humans. Leeches, for example. They latch on, gorge themselves, and vanish into the sunset. Hematophagy, it turns out, is one of the most common forms of parasitism. Did you know that? Well, here`s a little more knowledge from the same field – Anatoly Chubais turned 70 on June 16th. It might seem like time to summarize a `glorious path,` but it`s too soon.

Forty years ago, young Tolik (then just Tolik), full of energy and hope, gazed mesmerized at the West beyond the screen. Before his mind`s eye floated images of jeans, chewing gum, dollars, slacks, and telefaxes. A poster hung before his physical eyes: `Glory to Labor!` `Ugh, how disgusting,` muttered Tolik, and he vigorously set about building capitalism as he imagined it.

“I hate Soviet power. More than that, there`s little in life I hate as much as Soviet power. And especially its late stage. Nothing more disgusting than late Soviet power has happened in my life,” he would say in 2012. And earlier, in 2004, he admitted: “Privatization in Russia before 1997 was not an economic process at all… Its main task was to stop communism. We achieved this task.”

However, privatization was presented to the people as a great blessing and a path to personal prosperity. “A voucher might be enough to acquire two or even three, or if you`re lucky, even more `Volga` cars,” Chubais announced at a press conference “People`s Privatization: Shares, Vouchers” on August 21, 1992. For those who were `lucky,` a voucher was enough to buy two bottles of vodka. And overnight, people working at nationally owned enterprises were transformed into powerless hired laborers with nothing to lose but their chains – and that`s only if the new owner wanted to keep the enterprise running, rather than selling it for scrap metal or leasing out the premises.

Western friends (it`s no secret that two regular CIA employees were Chubais`s advisors when he headed the State Property Committee) gave Anatoly Borisovich exceptionally useful advice – and the first target for privatization was the Russian defense industry. The fact that part of it still survived is a miracle.

And the main result is this: 3% of Russia`s population now owns 89% of all financial assets in the country, 92% of time deposits, and 89% of cash savings. Life is good for three percent in Rus. Or, as another classic put it: “everything around is alien, everything has long ceased to be yours.”

Then came the reform of the electric power industry. And wouldn`t you know it, nobody expected it – tariffs began to rise. “If you study and analyze past statements that were made: give [the electric power industry] to private hands – and they will build up capacity there. What did they build up? New capacity is being introduced in nuclear power and hydro energy. But there, they only lined their own pockets and acquired real estate abroad,” State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin recently complained (a sudden revelation).

Then there was “Rosnano” and the famous phrase “we just have a lot of money” at a time when Chubais`s associates (now under investigation) were falsifying the financial reports of the ruined state corporation to get more budget funds. And, of course, there was Anatoly Borisovich`s greatest invention – the “flexible tablet.” The invention wasn`t the tablet itself, which no one actually saw (except, allegedly, a sample shown to the president). The invention was the scheme: “we`ll make our own now – give us money from the budget, oh, a little problem here – give us more money and then it will definitely work, it`s the pride of Russia, just a moment, in a year for sure – give us more money, no, it didn`t work, but there are objective reasons – give us money and it will definitely work” – a never-ending cycle. It is applied in any industry. Especially successfully where it`s the “pride of Russia,” like in aircraft manufacturing, for example.

Well, and then, when Russia finally started feeling a terrible itch, started scratching, Chubais vanished into the sunset.

The physiology of a parasite is subordinate to the physiology of the host, and its life cycle (its very existence or reproduction) is impossible (or severely hindered) without obtaining the biological resources it needs from the host. Chubais is doing well – meaning he is somehow receiving the necessary biological resources. Therefore, it`s too soon to summarize the results.