(03-08-2023, 11:37 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(03-08-2023, 10:22 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: Several brutal videos in this link. Churchill was right, "Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." This is a country which has demonstrated superlatives for centuries in the arts and sciences, yet deep down they closely resemble a tin-pot nation. 

New Footage Shows Ukraine ‘Kamikaze Drone’ Striking Russian Tank (msn.com)

It's an extremely diverse place with extremely diverse history. Cliche but true.  Our country's history is complicated but much less complicated than that of Russia.  Immense wealth potential.  Still not realized.  It also goes to show, the things we Americans value as a high quality of life, the middle class lifestyle, is nice, but not necessary for extraordinary things like creating the periodic table of the elements, war and peace,  sputnik, etc, etc.  The only reason we as Americans can be so dismissive about their power and influence today is that we have the EU, Saudis, Japan and Korea all on our side.  
In an alternate history where Russia abandons communism after winning world War 2, where they participate in something like the Marshall Plan, and don't exploit and squash their sphere of influence the way the soviets did, Russia today might have more allies and clout than the US today.  But the US would still probably be a nice place to live.