1200 years ago the Russians were ruled by the Vikings who named the country and called them slavs. The words "slav" and "slavic" come from the fact that they were slaves of the Vikings. Then came the Mongols. Then came the Tzars. Then the Communists. Then a few years of uneasy democracy and poverty for the masses. Now wealth, relative prosperity and a restoration of a measure of imperial pride under Putin. Putin is hugely popular he make the trains run on time and he feeds the hungry. Russians now say democracy is over rated.

I am not optimistic.