I don't respect the political system in either Russia or China, they're fascist dictatorships. Putin wants to portray himself as a 'czar', a tough dude who can kick ass, fly jets, ride horses shirtless, go hunting and kick the Mrs into touch for a youngy. The problem for tough guy Vlad is that Russia's in a very deep recession and as dictators are wont to do, they go on military adventures to escape the heat at home.
China's also a dictatorship, a personality cult, but yes, they are inextricably involved with the West, but loony posts like chaz who says US citizens are buying RMB is crap. If they want to buy Chinese assets they'll do it through an ETF. China's also got massive problems, that's why many of them are your neighbours, because they know things that you don't.
The West is in pretty good shape, not perfect, but not bad, no hyperinflation as predicted thousands of times here by the Siamese Parrot and dozens of others, no great depression 2 as predicted by my buddy Ophir-where I live it's like a rocket sled on rails, jobs for anyone. Loads of immigrants who ostensibly haven't got 2 bob to rub together when they arrive but after a few years they own houses and farms while the whinging whiteys complain about state houses, benefits and not unsurprisingly, immigrants.
Dairy farms and builders can't find enough staff so they get filipinos to do the job, but to get back to your post why do immigrants head for the West, but not Russia or China? You know the answer to that one.
As the FT article I posted said, gold's headed south.
