OT : Deficit -Spending : Russland zeigt Muskeln .......

Why do the Russians like (love) Vladimir Putin, the ex-KGB operator? Answer -- Putin turned Russia into a prosperous, powerful nation. Putin came to power in 1999, just after the ruble had collapsed on the back of a bond default and weak oil prices. But since Putin has taken over, life has gotten progressively better for the Russians. GDP in Russia has increased every year since 1999, and now the Russians are living better than ever in their history. Not only that but luxury has taken over in many parts of Russia. Moscow real estate is sky high, designer stores are all over Moscow, and Moscow is now home to more billionaires than is any other city in the world.

The Russian stock market has sky-rocketed and the ruble is strong. This year Russia's amazing oil windfall is calculated to hit $158 billion. Gold and currency reserves will grow a record $150 billion this year, and net capital inflow should total $80 billion. There are only two countries in the world that can snub the United States -- China and Russia. Both of these countries are nuclear and both are growing rapidly. China has the world's largest population of over 1.3 billion while Russia has a massive land mass that seems to cover a quarter of the world (check it out on a globe).

@Turon: He goes East rather than West