Russia’s Future - Grumpy Petro-Giant Armed-to-the-Teeth with Social Unrest

By Michael Lee Posted: Wed, November 14, 2012 

Although Russia’s population has peaked and is now decreasing, this resource-rich Eurasian giant will not go gently into the good night of decline.  Nor will the rich tapestry of Russian history, populated with larger-than-life autocrats such as Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Lenin, Stalin and Putin, and defined by world-shaking events like the Russian Revolution, the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, become uneventful in the 21st century.

While Russian society will age and shrink throughout this century, it will at the same time rise to become an energy superpower. Situated at the crossroads of the world between the shifting geo-political landscapes of Eurasia, I expect a restless, cat-and-mouse Russian foreign policy for the future while the nation manages its growing geopolitical influence as a restored global power spanning an enormous landmass across Europe and Asia.  To Read More…… 

My Take – I think this is a way overly optimistic view of Russia’s future.  Somewhere along the line the rest of Europe will develop their natural gas resources through fracking, in spite of the greenie’s objection.  When that happens Russia is in deep economic trouble since they have squandered the economic opportunities presented to them when the Soviet Union collapsed.