I think thier humiliation in the late 80’s and 90’s has garnered this. Like a man who beats his wife and children because he feels so utterly impotent. They enjoyed being feared and have no concept of friendship and just plain goodness. I’m sure there are good people there, but the country as a whole seems derelect of wholesome good nature. And they have taken the drive for ambition and turned it into wanting domination through brute force rather than success.
Yes, and God help us all. Wasn’t that also a component in Nazi Germany?
Unfortunately, there are very disturbing parallels here between Germany after WWI and what it turned into, and what is happening in Russia right now.
Hitler got his rise promising to set right the "treachery" which came out of the Great War. Of course, Hitler blamed it on the Jews and the Holocaust was the direct result.
Interestingly enough, Hitler *delivered* on his promise when the Wehrmacht overran the French -- he redid the Treaty of Versailles, in the same railroad car, and even found one of the original signers of the WWI armistice to sign France's surrender.
In essence, WWII in Europe was fought as revenge for the humiliation Germany suffered in WWI.
It reminds me of the dems who lost to Bush twice,they are still mad!!!