[CB..]

depends on wether you believe that Russia abandoned communism under duress..if you can accept the possibility of that then it may be that what is actually happening is that Russia is simply taking notice of their emerging communist neighbours China..a not unsuccessful little country which is seemingly imune to the pull of American political power..perhaps because they have mopped up huge elements of the wests domestic good manufacturing market and some what cannily has bought a substantial proportion of Americas national debt..now if you were an old communist country who had been forced to abandon it's past under economic pressure from the west or you had simply run out of money..,,,and you noticed just how succesful your communist neighbour was-- and that neighbour wasn't ill disposed to some form of co-operation..well the possibilities are endless..damn right putins ressurecting the USSR--wouldn't you??

China is on the verge of becoming a super power in it's own right...Russia and China together would be pretty much unstoppable..even as they stand now..in 50 years time well...we can only hope we don't deliberatly set our selves up for a major fall by spending those 50 years winding the sods up..