Why Russia no longer fears the West

Probably a correct assessment. Plenty of people in Europe really do care strongly about human rights and justice and all that, but when push comes to shove, too often money wins. Especially when it comes to Russia. Too many countries are all too eager to please Russia, to take and hide the money of its corrupt elite, to do whatever Moscow wants in order to get Russian gas, etc.

We need to realize that Russia is unbelievably corrupt. And Putin doesn't care; the only thing that matters to him is that Russia becomes a superpower again, with him at the helm.

We should be cutting ties with Russia, but we want their gas and their business.

The way it did in 1956, when it suppressed the Hungarian revolution, or 1968 when it put down the Prague Spring?

Russia never played by the rules. Russia wants to be feared and respected at all cost. Russia wants an image of a masculine and all knowing power. I love my motherland but like a parent it can be overbearing and wrong. It won't admit any wrong-doing. It goes back to the power ego.

Pretty interesting I just got an email from a .ru with a zip attachment called fax.zip (7kb) saying I had a fax from a friend, and a link to some .ru site.

Probably a coincidence, just wanted to mention it. Curious if anyone else received the same.