Russia has come a long way in raising the standard of living for all its citizens under the existing form of government over the past 100 years as has many democratic countries. Serfdom has gone, starvation for masses of people ……..In democratic countries slavery has gone, colonial empire building to rule others …...how is democracy going in India or South Africa over the last 100 years? We can always point to positive and negative examples to support our point of view. I doubt if Putin stands alone in his autocratic leadership of Russia. There are always powerful supporters behind all leaders and usually they are driven by self interest in all countries. Some suppress the population, military and army seek to control others, some seek wealth at expense of others….. The real issue is the perceived threat in Russia of foreign interference, right or wrong when they want to determine their own destiny. Turning focus away onto foreign issues is also a way for political leaders to consolidate their hold on a countries leadership be they authoritarian or democracy in name. Mostly occurs in troubled times to divert attention and a war against neighbours is a great way to achieve this end.
