Decided to give another chance to The Nation. Opened the fresh issue and discovered that Putin is great, reasonable, wonderful, and unfairly persecuted by evil Americans. Spit on the magazine but didn’t feel any better.
The Nation seems to be going in the same direction as the nation-state. I need to go stare on the chart of the rouble plummeting to make myself feel better.
Clarissa's Blog 
Hope this cheers you up a bit š http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/15/russias-economy-is-doomed-its-that-simple/ Putin is sinking.. sub $60 oil for a 12-24 months and I honestly wonder if Russia will still exist in current form…. š
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Im happy, of course, but not hopeful. The price was under $20 in the 1990s and Russia survived.
Im hearing the oil prices will surge once again in 2020.
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Well I look at it a little different. Putin only (mainly?) rose to power because with oil so low in the 90’s the economy was terrible.. which let him get in power.. he didn’t get in power until like 97-99 right? He won’t give up power.. and not easily… but he will be forever weakened I hope and do suspect
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This is a very Marxist analysis. You are full of surprises. š
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I doubt other major players (US and OPEC) can tolerate 60$ per barrel for as long as 12-24 months. So right now it is about playing who blinks first with Putin. And I am not very optimistic about West’s ability not to blink first.
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“And I am not very optimistic about Westās ability not to blink first.”
– Gosh, the West has been blinking so much and so fast that one could almost use it as an alternative source of energy. š
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