Thank you for this excellent, if disturbing, piece. I have never seen modern Russia's political history and economy explained so clearly, concisely and cleverly. To think how close we came to...I can't go there.
You mention the rise of oil prices in the 2000's. My conspiratorial mind has always wondered if Cheney was the first Republican to start to deal with Putin - and so he arranged for the invasion of Iraq, which precipitated the oil price rise.
Invading Iraq never made sense for American policy - it greatly strengthened Iran (which is a vassal state of Russia).
Thank you for this excellent, if disturbing, piece. I have never seen modern Russia's political history and economy explained so clearly, concisely and cleverly. To think how close we came to...I can't go there.
You mention the rise of oil prices in the 2000's. My conspiratorial mind has always wondered if Cheney was the first Republican to start to deal with Putin - and so he arranged for the invasion of Iraq, which precipitated the oil price rise.
Invading Iraq never made sense for American policy - it greatly strengthened Iran (which is a vassal state of Russia).
I doubt Vlad forgot his Deutsche
Excellent writing, but very depressing, of course.
My stomach churns every time I read anything about Russia under Putin.