Blunt nationalism replaces the worn out Communist overlay, but the new beast still carries on in the same manner as the old. Putin is continuity.

Look at how love and respected Israel is in the world! We have nations lining up to be our bestest friend! Russia loves us. China loves us. The Europeans love us. And what does America have? Israeli diplomacy is obviously the best ever and the Muslim Obama should learn this!

Is Giora Eiland that out to lunch that he doesn't see comrade chairman Putin behaving just like a Soviet leader? Good grief! "Stability of government" and then he says Lavrov, yea he's beent there for 10 years. That's not "stability of government" - that's stability of a dictatorship...which the USSR was for all intensive purposes. Russia is exhibiting the same Soviet behavior of rejecting democratic freedoms (closing down the press except for the big one owned by guess who....PUTIN, arresting and beathing the opposition), throwing weapons at 3rd world countries, propping up the vilest of regimes like Iran and Syria, and sticking their nose everywhere where they can also poke a stick in America's eye. I don't see any difference in Russia these days - it's a dictatorship all the same be it Chaiman Breznev or Chairman Putin. Unless Eiland wants to start calling him Tsar Vladimir.

The trend is your friend.

It's obvious that the West wants to continue to encircle Russia and break it up so that they can poach Russia's vast mineral wealth. Typical law of the jungle. It's the height of hypocrisy for the west to accuse anybody of imperialism. We have been engaging in subterranean imperialism like crazy. Take for example Lybia and Iraq, soon Uganda (no gay marriage allowed there so let's bomb them, but not for oil of course). We should really think about who are the good guys these days. Is it still us????

when the shackles of US baked fascists, pointing rifles at people's heads drop down they stream towards Russia as the center of universe, while respecting EU economic prowess and looking to work in cooperation. USSR ideology won. That's the trouble of West. And it cannot possibly allow this win solidify. The war is inevitable. The question is prepared West to fight it in the field of economy, competition, and art, or will it resort, as it choose to for the past 2000 years, to vile genocide. And the answer is in Libyan fields, filled with dead people, who paid for nothing else, but their right to look unto the skies and dream their dream without anyone's standing in the middle.

do indeed seem to think Russia is a communist state still. It's actually the right wing low tax religious xenophobic nationalistic traditional conservative sort of place that right wing Americans wish America was.

all those commies left Russia and settled in America and became the neoconservatives who want to conquer the world for gay rights etc

Has the author of the article bothered to notice that Russia still behaves, internally and externally in the same manner as the old USSR and in the same manner as the Tsars. There has been no change in Russia, There are no reduced Russian ambitions.

Russia doesn't need the ROTTEN West. Russia's economy is growing very fast. Russia's Friends are China, Japan, Malaysia, India, Israel...basically ALL Far East. Russia's business ties with Israel are excellent, on all levels. And in general Israel's ties with Russia are extremely good developed and growing - art, culture, theater, science, technology, music... These ties will get stronger between Russian People and Jewish People. Because 90% of American and European Jews have roots in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania. And in Israel russian speaking Israelis are probably at least 40%. And thank you for understanding the whole issue.

He has an eminent way of creating instability, just as a true islamic-cult-follower, where death is the ultimate vision.

to say that Putin is a continuity of USSR, is not only Laughable, Ludicrous, and Ridiculous. American media is the engine that produces tons of lies and misinformation about Putin and Russia. The same engine has produced and keep producing lies about American minuscule role in WWII. Every book on WWII ever published is about AmericanWWII. Every book is 95% about america in WWII, and only about 5% at the most about the REAL WWII, the EAST FRONT, The Russian Front. So, many generations of americans, just like you #1, have grown up learning in schools and books, that US has "won" the WWII against Germany. They know a LOT about american "bravery" in the Pacific. War in Pacific??? what kind of war was that??? It was not a war, but a series of mickey mouse fights, which had no effect and no impact of the outcome of the WAR in Europe. But americans believe THEY "won" in WWII. 20 million Russian soldiers lost their lives for the victory, against 400,000 american soldiers most of whom lost their lives far far far away from europe. Similar foolish presentation of the NEW Russia as continuation of old ussr. If americans could watch Russian TV, they would change their opinion in after one day, and stop trusting their corrupted media.

That definitely makes everything OK! what could we (or the Ukrainians, Georgians, arrested/poisoned journalists, etc, etc) possibly be thinking??

Just as your ancestors praised and revered the Tsar when he wasn't stepping on them, you carry on in the same time-honored tradition. Can only sneer with contempt when types like you slip out to squeak.

I can't imagine why anyone would do that. Is it because a KGB colonel is the dictator? Because Putin throws peaceful protesters in jail? Because Russia is aggressive towards small neighbors? Naah - couldn't be any of that could it?

you don't know history of USSR, you don't know history of ukraine, georgia and all other former republics. ALL former republics, including Lithuania, Latvia...etc, have ALWAYS been PART of Russian Empire, on and off - economically, historically, culturally, demographically. They are simply can not survive independently. Same will happen now. Do you know how FDA threatening many doctors for trying holistic and alternative therapies for treating cancer and other deceases ? It's similar to the tactics of former KGB. Many doctors are forced to flee to south america because they are practicing medicine against the rules established by Pharmaceutical Mafias. Many practitioners were assassinated in 1930s, because their practices threatened profits of pharmaceutical companies. Does this remind you of KGB ? Sure it does. Please don't flash with "poisoned journalists". It happened and happens in US too.

You are an example of lies, stupidity, idiocy, anti-american, anti-west, pro-communism, anti-democracy, and much more. So please take your lies some where else none of us here want to hear it. I have an idea actually maybe you should go to to the Voice of Russia you will find very similar people to yourself.

Totally agree with Giora. Someone has to understand how Russians live, think and dream before starting to anticipate their "global and imperialistic" aspirations... Lately the American leadership is quite naive in its world division doctrines that provied to be wrong with Arab Spring and now with stand-off against Russia. The author is correct in his analysis and, unfortunately, Americans, as well as their spineless EU comrades (who should know better as they deal with Russians 24/7) completely miss the mark. The USSR paradigm is gone but Americans are too ignorant and rigid to acknowledge that. Too bad...

we did yesterday in Albuquerke... What's the trouble, dude. Too stupid to spot own troubles ( not an April 1st joke, by the way ). Or shall we call it too democratic, out of respect to your mental deficiency.