The 1980's was a good time to use that argument. Now we are in a time when the opposition to pro-islamic governments in England, Canada, all of Europe and now the USA is spreading like wild fire. The future is not about Russians and Chinese and money. It is about the future eruption of determined minorities of constitutionalists, conservatives, evangelicals, you name it a willing coalition of those opposed to tyrany and slavery to a chaotic and hostile government.
Russia has more than its share of generals chomping at the bit to make hay while the sun shines. While a global civil war erupts, the Russians have the ability to stop it at their own door step. After all, Putin brags about his 'managed democracy'.
One more factoid, the civil defense structure in Russia is a reality. Ours is fiction. Our stores of wheat were officially sold off several months ago. Our govt. stores no foods. A couple of nukes in strategic places is all it takes to starve to death a hundred million 'Mericans.
Expect the unexpected. If you think the progressives will go gentle into the night after the next election - you are wrong. They know this is their only shot at power and will cancel elections or commite 25 million fraudulent votes while the nation stares and stutters in disbelief. Afterall - that's what we did in November of 2008...
Russia dances to a different tune and has different paranoid fears.
In case you did not get it - both the western nuts in power and the eastern nuts in power are paranoid but what they are paranoid about is different.