Russian metaphor of the day

“I can describe the Russian economy as water in a sieve,” Yulia L.
Latynina, a commentator on Echo of Moscow radio, said of the chronic
waste in Russian industry.

“Everybody was thinking Russia had
succeeded, and they were wondering, how do you keep water in a sieve?”
Ms. Latynina said. “When the input of water is greater than the output,
the sieve is full. Everybody was thinking it was a miracle. The sieve
is full! But when there is a drop in the water supply, the sieve is
again empty very quickly.”

The article, which focuses on the financial comeuppance of Gazprom, is interesting throughout.