"Which country has prospered more since Viet Nam, the USA or the USSR?"

Ever heard of Gazprom? If you're from the US possibly not, but do yourself a favour and google it - the outside world is coming to you whether you like it or not, and they're already here in Europe.

Gazprom, a state-owned energy multinational now controls much of the gas Europe, east and west rely on as their own reserves run low. They are already holding some states to ramsom by threatening to cut off gas supplies. They are interested in buying Centrica, which used to be British Gas (and state-owned before the Tories sold it off - nice one), which raise the possibility of the gas supply to our homes in the British Isles being controlled even more from Moscow.

Someone is having the last laugh, and it ain't anyone this side of the Russian border.