Why Russians are Dying

Russia seems to me to be a tragic nation. No matter what the management the people seem to get a bad deal. It is interesting to me that technical education in Russia has always been quite good - the United States benefited from a lot of Russian scientists emigrating after the iron curtain lifted, Russia had an advanced space program, Russia had a good (if somewhat unregulated) medical system, with many pioneering techniques developed. Russia, of course, had many interesting literary figures.<p>But the management sucks. And the common theme - except for that brief interlude of glasnost - is information hiding. The truth about things - the economy, politics - is twisted and turned until the twisters themselves probably don&#x27;t know what the truth was.<p>The lesson from Russia is, only freedom of information - news and views - can save a society. technical excellence and progress is nothing.

Quite the contrary, Russians are very much alive. They won the WW2, but lost the Cold War. It all led to shrinking the nation from 250mln people to 130mln (less than Nigeria). But Russians never lived that well, like nowadays. I saw it with my own eyes in St Petersburg and Karelia. I can compare it to images of my childhood in the same area. Russians are always reborn and never defeated.

Not trying to start another civil war in Russia or its closest neighbours would certainly help.