Russia in Trouble this Year?

[mongers]

WTF is the significance of a red envelope?

Red is good luck for the new year and it has money in it usually.  I think that is about it right Jake?

What is the one where they light fake money on fire?

Raz, you're a little ahead of yourself, that's investors in dollars and sterling in 5 years time. 

[Jacob]

What is the one where they light fake money on fire?

That's at funerals, anniversaries of deaths, and I expect there are local holidays/festivals as well.

You're sending money (and other goods - you can get fake houses, suits, watches, and all kinds of other things too) to your friends and relatives in the afterlife.

[Queequeg]

Pretty much all years in history have been bad for Russia. The entire Chinese zodiac is bad for Russia.

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers. 

I doubt it would be this year, but Kremlinology is anything but an exact science.  I don't expect the Olympics to go very well, and frankly I think the Putin administration is starting to really stink. 

[Neil]

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers.

Nope.  They weren't a global power after 1991, nor were they immediately after the revolution.  And preeminent?  They certainly lost a lot of power and prestige both after the Russo-Japanese War and throughout the 20s and 30s.

[Viking]

Pretty much all years in history have been bad for Russia. The entire Chinese zodiac is bad for Russia.

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers. 

I doubt it would be this year, but Kremlinology is anything but an exact science.  I don't expect the Olympics to go very well, and frankly I think the Putin administration is starting to really stink.

Russia being a Superpower is bad for Russia and bad for the World

[Razgovory]

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers.

Nope.  They weren't a global power after 1991, nor were they immediately after the revolution.  And preeminent?  They certainly lost a lot of power and prestige both after the Russo-Japanese War and throughout the 20s and 30s.

They certainly weaken post-1991, but then it's not like there are many other major powers.

[Neil]

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers.

Nope.  They weren't a global power after 1991, nor were they immediately after the revolution.  And preeminent?  They certainly lost a lot of power and prestige both after the Russo-Japanese War and throughout the 20s and 30s.

They certainly weaken post-1991, but then it's not like there are many other major powers.

Remember how badly they were doing after the collapse of the Soviet Union?  Russia's ability to project power outside her borders was pretty much nil.

[DGuller]

You're sending money (and other goods - you can get fake houses, suits, watches, and all kinds of other things too) to your friends and relatives in the afterlife.

So, the moment the relatives become unable to raise a fuss, you send them the fake stuff?  Those Chinese sure are enterprising.

[Razgovory]

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers.

Nope.  They weren't a global power after 1991, nor were they immediately after the revolution.  And preeminent?  They certainly lost a lot of power and prestige both after the Russo-Japanese War and throughout the 20s and 30s.

They certainly weaken post-1991, but then it's not like there are many other major powers.

Remember how badly they were doing after the collapse of the Soviet Union?  Russia's ability to project power outside her borders was pretty much nil.

Yeah, and what were the other countries with  the ability to project power across the world?  You have maybe three who can reliably do it.  The US, the UK, and France.  Even a crippled man stands tall amongst a world of dwarfs.

[Josquius]

Pretty much all years in history have been bad for Russia. The entire Chinese zodiac is bad for Russia.

Russia spent a plurality of the last century as one of the two most powerful nations on earth, and all of it as one of the preeminent global powers. 

I doubt it would be this year, but Kremlinology is anything but an exact science.  I don't expect the Olympics to go very well, and frankly I think the Putin administration is starting to really stink.

Russia being a Superpower is bad for Russia and bad for the World

Being a power is over-rated.
I'd much rather be born in piddly little Norway (for a random example) than in supposed world number 2 China. Or hell. The US.

[Neil]

Yeah, and what were the other countries with  the ability to project power across the world?  You have maybe three who can reliably do it.  The US, the UK, and France.  Even a crippled man stands tall amongst a world of dwarfs.

A crippled man isn't a 'preeminent power'.

[Razgovory]

What is the one where they light fake money on fire?

That's at funerals, anniversaries of deaths, and I expect there are local holidays/festivals as well.

You're sending money (and other goods - you can get fake houses, suits, watches, and all kinds of other things too) to your friends and relatives in the afterlife.

I wonder what the exchange rates are.  Also, can the dead send money back, or is it just one way?

[Viking]

Being a power is over-rated.
I'd much rather be born in piddly little Norway (for a random example) than in supposed world number 2 China. Or hell. The US.

I wouldn't know,  being born in England and all that....

[Josquius]

Being a power is over-rated.
I'd much rather be born in piddly little Norway (for a random example) than in supposed world number 2 China. Or hell. The US.

I wouldn't know,  being born in England and all that....

We're in the middle somewhere.

[Viking]

Being a power is over-rated.
I'd much rather be born in piddly little Norway (for a random example) than in supposed world number 2 China. Or hell. The US.

I wouldn't know,  being born in England and all that....

We're in the middle somewhere.

Britain was then and still is in the top 7 of world powers.