“Russia’s Brutal War Calculus”
“Two years of war have remade Russia.
Isolated from the West, it is now more dependent on China. Political repression is reminiscent of the grim days of the Soviet Union.
But Russia is not the economic shambles many in the West predicted when they imposed punishing sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Many Russians are pulling down their highest incomes in years.
Russian society has been refashioned in ways that have devastated some and lifted others. While government critics languish in jail and young men die in trenches at the front, other Russians — especially those willing to spout the official line — are feeling more optimistic than ever.
Here is a look at how Russia at war has changed — suffering enormous costs by some metrics but faring better than expected by others.”
“Two years of war have remade Russia. Isolated from the West, it is now more dependent on China. Political repression is reminiscent of the grim days of the Soviet Union.”
And significantly, many things resemble Nazi Germany as well, where huge Government spending on the Military and internal policing and political repression temporarily boosted GDP, as the nation was led into an inferno.
From the article that you linked:
“the (Putin) government plans to spend $500 million on “patriotic education” this year, including for a goose-stepping “youth army.”“
And you think this is somehow a 'good' thing that Russia depends more on China as you contend? Depending > Cooperating.......
The LAST thing in the world we need is those two working together.