Soviet era joke (anecdote, as Russians say):
Armenian Radio: Why did Lenin wear shoes and Stalin wore boots?
We reply: The sh)t was a lot deeper during Stalin's time.
The new Russian fashion is to wear knee length boots now.
My Russian wife reads me Russian newspapers with articles about Russia and Russian reactions towards the West, especially America. This past summer, Russian articles claimed that Europe and America would be hurt by sanctions, not Russia. Russia would become stronger, the West weaker. The dollar would collapse. Russia would turn off the gas and Europe would cave in. They showed a lot of bravado, back then.
Only now that the ruble is collapsing, the price of oil is tanking and sanctions are hurting Russian companies, Russia is talking about patriotism. There was even a picture in Argumenti y Facti of a Russian with a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, with the caption reading, “We can make do with less! Russians have always heeded the call to show their
patriotism and do with less when the country needs it!”
Putin and the propaganda machine are now evoking pictures of the Great Patriotic War and the need to sacrifice for the good of the state. He recently even evoked the ghost of HIT(er and blamed Russia’s troubles on the West! Loser people and loser countries always blame their troubles on others, instead of looking for the answer in themselves. As long as
Russia sees America and the West as its enemy, then they will never solve their own political and economic problems and join the first rank of nations. Russia likes to compare itself to America, as if that will raise them to the first rank. Better for Russia to compare itself to Brazil, Argentina and Indonesia.