Whistlejacket Your arguments are absolutely spot on. I don't want to do anything else other than hold them at the gates (US,NATO and EU) whilst they destroy themselves (administrations) as you point out. Russia in my opinion must secure its borders, then move on. Securing its borders saves everyones lives. Externally, I think Russia MUST stick to international law and develop with the rest of the world, through honest bargains, relationships which advance all of the worlds populations, making parnership live in its truest meaning. Russia needs take countries as they are, using persuation to advance any human rights deficits perceived in different cultures. Rusia needs to leave the cultural diversity of the world in place, whilst at the same time in a coherent and calm manner raising issues, where human dignity can be at stake. However, regardless of concerns, they need allow everyone to develop at their own pace in terms of national culture and borders, however, painful it may be to witness, because short cuts in the end, just turn into the long way around. Internally Russia must also take the opportunity to develop something economically and socially differentiated and then start to take the lead. Russia needs an innovative commerce driven society, coupled with social inclusion, education and opportunity where individualism takes a lead and opportunity is available to all. Things need to be slightly regulated so that a winner takes all menatlity can't exist for one powerful player. There is a lot to do, but by walking with a clear direction, Russia can get there in the end. Don't confuse me, I am not a socialist at all, I am actually very free market, but I want a true free market for Russia. Monopolies or closed shops, be them in Banking or elsewhere are not the facets of a free market. I also want the individual to be paramount, opportunity for all and individual responsibility to be enshrined. However, I want a social safety net for the bad times, run as a true national insurance, not a pot of money as a play thing for the politicians.The US people and society set off on this road, but they got lost along the way, as the powerful, took more and more and became the omnipotent, in the end they took control of the government through the failure that led to the bailout. Now the poor ordinary American has to pay for this and also for the foreign misadventures instituted by corporate America in search of oil. If Russia can make things work, then there is no doubt that it could be fed back to the US, at their own wiill, as real change they can believe in. I really want Russia to try this and of course succeed. My honest, opinion is that it would be good for the world at large. Nice talking to you.

Count Cash In your last paragraph first sentence, "US,NATO and the EU...", is an example to me of how people view NATO. The US is always outside of NATO. One almost always view the US and NATO and not just NATO including the US. This distinction to me is extremely important in that the United States will never view itself as a member of anything. I do agree with you about the need for Russia to always advance technologically, as it would be suicide if she didn't. However, Russia has the opportunity to actually wage a social war against the US. This would not be viewed as agression yet it holds the power to bring about change as Obama continually states. The US hasn't changed a thing because she is still using her antiquated and costly agressive tactics that have been so commonly used in the past. It is primarily this foolhardy approach to world issues that Russia can take advantage of. Russia is still viewed as an enemy by the west, although it is a very foggy one. Russia needs to allow the US to hang herself as she justly deserves but with caution, great caution. All the hype concerning Obama's election has given the US a false sense of importance. Obama has not as of yet shown the world that anything is going to change especially in the military arena, and this is going to cost Obama his reputation as a statesman. If Russia fails to lead, then the world will be in termoil. Russia must view herself in the same way as I have expressed but I am not so sure she has seen this opportunity, but it will show as time moves on. I may sound as an alarmist, but I do want to say that if change is going to come then lets have a change. Obama\s election is not an endorsement for the world to blindly accept US forgein policy. It is however an opportunity for the world to not accept US forgein policy, in all of it's present day forms. I would be very interested in what you might have to say in response to my note here.