Putin's legacy is a Russia that doesn't have to curry favour with the west

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2171414,00.html ^ | Tuesday September 18, 2007 | Jonathan Steele

[RusIvan]

Among the neon and the glitz of Moscow's car-choked streets, a new hoarding stands out for its stark simplicity. Apart from the colours of the Russian flag, there is no image and its wording is short: "Putin's plan, Russia's victory".

[Slapshot68]

If the west stopped buying their oil, I bet he may change his tune.

[2banana]

Hmmm - can they feed their troops yet?

[RusIvan]

Ping

[RusIvan]

If the west stopped buying their oil, I bet he may change his tune.==

In Russia they say:”..If price of oil is about $20 then Russia is the raw source appendix to West. But if the price of oil is about $80 then West is the technological appendix to Russia..”:))

[RusIvan]

Hmmm - can they feed their troops yet?==

Maybe it sounds suprise for you but Russia produced this year about 78 mlns tonns of wheat. And she exported about 2.5 mlns already.

[Humvee]

The gross national product of Russia is today still about the same as the Netherlands. ‘nuff said?

[Slapshot68]

“The gross national product of Russia is today still about the same as the Netherlands. ‘nuff said?”

A lot of Russia’s best minds/capitalists/entrepreneurs have left for greener, western pastures. I hired one of them last week. :)

[BenLurkin]

Can you imagine the headline: “Bush’s legacy is a Unied States that doesn’t have to curry favour with Europe.”?

[RusIvan]

The gross national product of Russia is today still about the same as the Netherlands. ‘nuff said?==

It is if GDP of Netherlands is about 2 trlns of US dollars which I very doubt.

[in hoc signo vinces]

The only thing Russia has been exporting since the Berlin wall fell is women looking for a Western Husband...

And, honestly, in a couple of years that will probably be exposed as a KGB plot.

Folks I am not kidding...there are Russian Brides, and former Russian Brides (once they’ve done their three years) all over Houston...

[RusIvan]

The only thing Russia has been exporting since the Berlin wall fell is women looking for a Western Husband...==

You probably mistook Russia for Ukraine.

[in hoc signo vinces]

Well..let me be more specific...

Russian, Ukrainian, Kazikstahni (Russian though, not the Aisans, there is a difference), Georgian (Not from Atlanta)

Thanks...

The Russian girls, however, are part of a KGB plot as opposed to looking for a Husband... :-)

[goldstategop]

Russia has come into its own as a Great Power. The collapse of the Soviet Union eliminated a conventional superpower and Russia does not expect to replay the policies of Tsarist and Soviet times. It doesn't need to. But it does expect to be respected on the world stage as an advocate of Russian national interests, following its own beliefs, values and interests as other states do.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Just mythoughts]

Is there anything historical, longer ago than the past 400 years that causes Russia to be so envious of US? What exactly does the US owe them?

[gondramB]

>>If the west stopped buying their oil, I bet he may change his tune.<<

They cannot afford to.

Putin’s legacy is that he was in charge during the great inflation of energy prices combined with tremendous weakening of the dollar. Combine that with the free market effects that strengthened the Russian economy and thus I fear that we will wake up one day and realize we spent the last six years worrying about the wrong enemy.

[goldstategop]

No country owes any other country anything that it does not ask of itself. Nations do not reciprocate loving sentiment in their relations. It is strictly self-interest. That is what makes nation to nation relationships so different from the relationship between human beings. With someone you know well, feelings can and do enter the picture and that is entirely appropriate.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[goldstategop]

Russia is not going to take over the world. It can make mischief for America if it chooses but our real enemy is Islamofascism. We can talk to Russia even when we are not always on the best of terms. But we cannot talk to those who want us to die. We indeed have been worrying about the right enemy for the past six years and we will have to worry about it as along as Islamofascists seek to blow us up. One 9/11 is enough for the American memory.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[MNJohnnie]

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf

[M. Espinola]

Oh no, comrade...... not more Putin propaganda! I am getting a headache from the overload of Kremlin planted crapola.

It looks better then the 'old days'.