Russia is a great power. It’s not going away. It has a glittering destiny before it; always has. The Russians are smart people. They could create cities of glass, maglev rail networks, monuments to art, cities on Mars. If they could get the Putins, Stalins, Yagodas, Yezovs, Berias out of the way. Fausta describes how some of the Russian noveaux riche now live, in Italian villas, whooping it up:

Pierrette, a housekeeper for one Russian, said: “I attended a party where the guests had fun throwing burning €500 notes into the air while everyone split their sides laughing. The domestic staff were later told to collect the ashes. It was sickening.”

Meanwhile, back east, the Chinese man with his boxes of merchandise: rubber slippers, toys, crackers, wire and electrical goods creeps inexorably forward, propelled by a fifteen hour work day. And my guess is that before the end, the Chinese man will wind up buying the Italian Villa and employing the Russians.