A nation must think before it acts.
“The parallels between the Soviet Union in the 1980s and Russia today are eerier than the oil price alone suggests. A pointless war — Afghanistan then, Ukraine today — sapped economic strength and provoked Western sanctions. During the Soviet period, food subsidies cost the government billions of rubles. Today, according to IMF data, Russia’s energy subsidies waste about 5 percent of GDP each year. Rapid salary increases for state employees cost billions more.”