[snugs]

It is something that does concern me rejoice as we did with the ending of the iron curtain I think we failed to realise other consequences and address those at the time, I suppose it would have meant aid money though from the western world and whether that would have been popular at that time is debatable.

[Txsleuth]

You know the saying--"keep your friends close, but your enemies, closer"---

I think that what happened after the "wall came down", we got too complacent and too trusting that the physical wall also symbolized a political/sovreign wall for the Russians...

I think we need to go back to thinking of them in the "keep your enemies, closer", state of policital think!