[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Russia is now where we were at around 1955, concerning development and economic growth.

I think that is far too optimistic. There is a reason why Russians of any means are fleeing the country in droves. This was not true of 1950s America. Politically, they are something like the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and the God Father, but with a "folkish," mystical nationalism based upon the Russian people as a race. Where there is no freedom, where the human spirit is put under the chains of the state, there will be no true growth. Until the Russian people are freed from the yoke of Russia's soviet structures, they will never be able to achieve what we can, even on a bad day.

[wetphoenix]

~There is a reason why Russians of any means are fleeing the country in droves~

Any figures to back these words?

[JParris]

“Where there is no freedom, where the human spirit is put under the chains of the state, there will be no true growth.”

Hmmm, seems you be describing USSA. .gov and the accompanying bueracracy is doing all it can to strangle the last gasps of freedom from we the people.......

[nomad]

And we in the OSA (Oligarchical States of America) are so very free?