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Socially, modern Russia will never revert to the way it was, it has changed too much in the last 15 years for that to happen.

That's rubbish, Russia had been living under some form of authoritarian regime for centuries before the Wall fell. It will be (is) much easier to simply revert to that than instill a real democratic system. Russians aren't accustomed to democratic ups & downs in the same way we are, a lot of them place more value in solidarity and strong leadership.

The Kremlin has aknowledged for some time now that the current 'democracy' experienced in Russia at the moment is both the correct one and neccessary one given Russia's past history. Obviously, not everyone agrees with that and it is, of course, open to debate.

Sarastro, you are right in saying that instilling true democracy, as we would know it, is still a very long way off, but I don't agree that just because it would be easier to, people would want to slip back into Communism. Theres no doubt some people are struggling now and perhaps feel they were better off under the old system, but I believe the will of the mass majority of people want to drive the country forward, not backward.

It's not a question of what the people want. If you are talking about authoritarian government, it's a question of what the govt. wants...or more accurately; can get away with, or make the people think they want.

As for the people, look at the voting records of Russia over the last fifteen years, whenever anyone has played the 'big strong Russia' or 'enemy at the gates' cards to get them to back authoritarian moves, there has been overwhelming popular support. They might not want the gulags back, but there is a persuasive line of thought that Russian government has been authoritarian for so long (not just Communism, Tsars and beyond), that Russians simply don't know or trust anything different.

Ivan and the Chinese are really scaring the shit out of me Chinese consumption of raw material and particularly oil, is growing at exponential rates. The oil is running out, we use more each year than we find and so what reserves we have are decreasing alarmingly. Soon we`ll see 100 $US a barrel, then 150, then 200 and it won`t stop.
Iraq was never about Saddam, WMD or Kuwait. It is the first large scale war for oil. It will not be the last. Ask the Chinese, they need oil, they want oil and they do not care what it will cost them to get oil. If you think things are shitty now,wait till 2020 and you`ll see what shitty really is.
And yes, the Chechen geezer deserved to get blatted

Chinese consumption and growth is rather alarming, I agree.

By 2025, low estimates put their population at 1.39 billion, high estimate at 1.55 billion.
It's gonna get very ugly and soon.

So you think that if we werent in Iraq and Afghanistan now . . the Chinese would be in there soon?

Afgan is a side show.
Wait till we invade Saudi, then it really will get comic
Not.

I think so, US militry movements seem to be posturing at containing the dragon. China must grow larger or implode and the US must deny China that or face another cold war or perhaps even becoming a 3rd rate world power, sort of like Canada But really the US would have to power down and that won'
that won't happen unless the bankers want it. I see a fight coming.

Sort of like Canada

Hell whiteboy you made me piss my pants there homey
Oooraggghhh

Say "Howdy" to good ole Nathan B for me, wouldya
Sempers, aye

He's doing good. We're going to the range pretty soon actually. I'll tell him howdy for you alright.