From Reuters tonight: "President Vladimir Putin has gone so far as to blame Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin for Russia’s current difficulties. Historical scapegoats, however, do not relieve Putin and his government of responsibility for Russia’s financial mess. ...
...
The 2016 budget, meanwhile, already included catastrophic reductions in education, health care and social spending. How will the Russian public react to additional cuts? No one knows.
...
The Russian government really has no good economic options other than hope."

The irony is inescapable. The lesson for the USA should be painfully clear. This story shows Vladimir Putin on January 8, 2016, engaged in a judo competition. I can give the man props for focus - as opposed to our "choom boy" who cannot even throw a baseball - but reality is unresponsive to both hope and force. To be commanded, it must be obeyed.

Full story here:
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate...

Just a note... I remember when the USSR repealed its income tax. The newspapers carried a Herblock cartoon of rich old boys in their clubroom commenting.