He who places his hope on thee, O Virgin all-glorious, will prosper in all he does.

Inscription on Byzantine coin during reign of Romanus III



Friday, November 04, 2011

The Will To Overcome Geopolitical Inferiority

Russia's superpower ambitions lack sufficient juice for execution.

How do I know? The expert in such matters, Vladimir Putin, says so, when he proposes a Eurasian Union through his Patriarchal mouthpiece, Fr. Vsevolod Chaplin.

Is the proposed Union a trade bloc? Currency bloc? Monetary bloc?

Nothing is apparent, except the vague goal of mutual support and the opportunity to "adequately influence global processes".

Sounds like Russia is whining about its lack of sheer, naked power.

Hipshooting Vice President Joe Biden said it best two years ago, "Russia has to make some very difficult, calculated decisions...they have a shrinking population base, they have a withering economy, they have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years, they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."


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