> This is the multi-polar world goal. Russia in fact already _is_ a
> multi-ethnic empire containing several relatively autonomous ethnic
> republics. It's not a nation state. It's quite similar to the 19th century
> Russian Empire, in fact, I would say.
So we're probably headed for international relations characterised by imperial rivalry on steroids and (logically) the Balkanisation of the non-imperial countries. If this I have a say in (and of course it isn't) then my vote is for the New World Order/US global hegemony/whatever you want to call it --- on the basis of "better the devil you know".
> Russian nationalism is nothing compared to some of the
> things you can come across here). There are over 100 distinct ethnic
groups
> here, each of which defines itself in contrast to all the others.
Would I be right in thinking that these are concentrated are in remote regions which were barely touched by Soviet modernisation, etc? The _economics_ of communism and laissez faire capitalism are both good at breaking down barriers, parochialism and obscurantism. I can't see how one more ideology will help.