Obama: NATO to erect missile shield for Europe

[Pelranius]

If so, I hope the next collapse won't be as bad as the last debacle.

[Ritterin Sophia]

If so, I hope the next collapse won't be as bad as the last debacle.

I think you mean last two.

[K. A. Pital]

What debacle? So far Russia's foreign policy enjoyed lots of success on the outside.

[Ritterin Sophia]

He's talking about internal change.

[Pelranius]

Specifically, the collapse of the USSR and the resulting unpleasantness that included outright ethnic wafare, drop in living standards and life expectancy, implosion of science, brain drain.

I was just thinking that internal changes in Russia could (but hopefully) not unpleasant as the last round. Just worst case thinking and planning here.

[K. A. Pital]

I was just thinking that internal changes in Russia could (but hopefully) not unpleasant as the last round. Just worst case thinking and planning here.

If Russia can drop to Third World standards (which is, undoubtedly, a possibility), yeah, it wouldn't be nice. But the modern oligarchy is keeping Russia just a tad higher and simultaneously ruining the prospects for long-term development of Russia.

[Sarevok]

By long term development do you mean things like quality of life for average citizen or how powerful the Russian federation is ?

[K. A. Pital]

Quality of life and long-term industrial development both, actually - they are intimately connected. Ruining one's education if you're trying to modernize industry is not a good idea, right?

[Bernkastel]

I assume you are referring to things such as the Russian Orthodox Church's meddling in the Russian Educational System and the demographic problems?