Lovely to read you again, Shlomo! Great summary of a present condition of a country that we almost constantly misunderstand.

I found this to be the most perceptive article yet produced on Russia, which probably guarantees it will not be widely read. However, I think Mr Putin and his KGB cronies still harbor imperialist ambition and a love of order which characterised the institutions of bolshevism and national socialism alike.

Agree that this is an excellent essay by Professor Avineri

I think Putin is, in fact, probably holding back his former KGB and FSB cronies (the siloviki) from being excessively statist or totalitarian. Even without the old parts of the Soviet Union that have become independent Russia is still an empire held together by force.

Its a mess that only high oil and gas prices are keeping afloat.

If Australia could anticipate Russia's oil/gas strategy and predict its oil/gas deals we'd be doing very well indeed. However, I think Russia is so distant, big, secretive and with a difficult language that Australia has little chance of getting a handle (for commercial or other purposes) on how it ticks .

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

plantagenet - wish I could share your optimism about Putin. Once a chekist, always a chekist!

An elegant summary, however I wonder if Australia should engage with Russia? I think not, because Australia purportedly values honesty, integrity, human rights, morality and decency.
Russia since perestroika has allowed Orthodox Christianity to re-establish itself as a major political force, in the process becoming a morally bankrupt state rife with oppression, crime, and corruption. Russian atrocities in Chechnya and elsewhere means Putin’s record is no better than Milosevic’s in Bosnia and Macedonia.
Australia does have several things in common with Russia – a political system that rewards short-term fixes, contempt for indigenous people; disregard and cavalier destruction of the natural environment, and a willingness to murder, bomb and terrorise countries that are perceived as a threat to our economic expansion. We've also developed an arrogant attitude to our neighbours; inflict cruel and inhumane treatment on refugees and asylum seekers, and have an increasing disregard for individual and human rights of our own citizens…
Despite those similarities, is it right to ignore wrongs so we can make a quick buck? Shouldn’t we care that their rotting nuclear warships and submarines pose far greater threat to life than North Korea’s atomic tests? Don’t we care that Orthodox Christians and neo Nazi vigilantes, with the blessing of Putin are torturing and murdering homosexuals? Do we really want to simply grab a quick buck and to hell with the consequences?

perikles

"Once a chekist, always a chekist". What an inditement of the ex spooks of this world. So many of them are cute and cuddly.

Notwithstanding Putin's blackbelt, warped sense of humour regarding rape and sundry atrocities of FSB (SVR keeps a lower profile) I think Putin is a steady improvement over the communists and wasn't an accident waiting to happen like Yeltsin.

I think so far Putin is the devil we know and is keeping Russia together. An unstable Russia, falling apart is a dangerous prospect - with too many nukes to fall through the cracks.

Pete