Wretchard,
The Russians could choose to walk into the future and achieve great things but they cling to bitterness, self pity and failure. Now they obsess over the scattered remnants of related minority groups throughout the former empire. Now they are like the inhabitants of our most intractably dysfunctional slums. Some of the shock and exaggerated expectations that colors outside relations with Russia reflects a form of bigotry. Foreigners ask, “How can a people who look so European behave this way?” When they demand the right to control other countries, because of minorities that Russia previously fostered or scattered in those locations, the short answer should be “Tough.” When the German Empire collapsed in 1945 over 16,000,000 ethnic Germans ran to the West. There were no borders to speak of in Eastern Europe before the 19th century and there were German communities that had existed for over a thousand years stretched out past the Black Sea. If anyone wants to live in Russia let them pick up and move. Given the demographics there will be plenty of room for them.

Putin has wasted a one time opportunity provided by the energy bubble to ready Russia for the future. Saudi Arabia has a better long term plan for converting oil wealth in to a future.
The only things Russia produces are:
1. Aids and alcoholism statistics
2. Vodka
3. Weapons of dubious battle field performance
4. Prostitutes
5. Spam and viruses