re: #34 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Putin seems to want to harken back to the drab old days as though they’re the heyday - also a reminder that Russia’s getting left behind by the rest of the world in standard of living and that oil wealth is fleeting. Tremendous problems that a military buildup can’t fix.

Even when they try stuff to build up national pride - like Olympic success - it falls short when you get caught doping on nation-state scale.