Quote Originally Posted by Furunculu5
is is inevitably becoming a basket case.

it has a population crash ensuing.
those left will be unhealthy alcoholics.
it will run out of gas itself in 25 years.
it has virtually nothing to replace this loss with, economically speaking.
its conventional military is a shambles, capable of little, and inclined to do less.
it is run by a despot who will discourage foriegn investment needed for russias economy.
corruption is endemic in both the public and the private sphere of life.
there are now more chinese living in siberia than russians.
russia has one of the fastest growing muslim minorities, few well disposed to good ol' mother russia.
its sphere of influence is dwindling as the EU and NATO gobble-up former satellite states.

not looking too good is it?
It looks even less good when you count the thousands of nuclear warheads they still have and a very nationalist outlook. Less good for us, that is.