See what I mean about the rise and fall of empires?

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/05/putin-returning-president_n_995619.html

This just backs everything I've said about the deadlock in American politics; the world has categorically moved on from a US-dominated global economy and the only people who are doing nothing about it are the Capitol Hill Brigade.

This news from Russia will doubtless see French, German and British finance ministers launch a whole range of relationship-building exercises which will further damage the US economy in the wake of 10 solid years of political chauvinism under Bush. It is absolutely no coincidence at all that it comes after another suicidal decision by a US president to back Israel in the UN against the wishes of the rest of the worlds governments. This has been timed to say to America's president, "Ok, so let's show you how irrelevant you are in the Security Council. Go ahead, veto another piece of the puzzle; we don't need you anyway".

British excellent relations with India, French close economic bonds with China, German diplomacy in Russia. 15% of UK trade is with the US and that figure is rapidly diminishing.

People in Washington are rushing their country into absolute decline by sidelining the US in just about every international organisation from the UN to NATO to the IMF. And they think this news doesn't prove what happens when you tamper with global political opinion.

British GDP per capita PPP is still head and shoulders above Russian GDP so it'll be a while yet before there is any serious impact, but who do you think the Arabs and Iranians would now prefer to sell their oil to? India recently agreed to pay Iran over £3 Billion in oil debt because Iran threatened to stop exports of oil to India; so if India (a 1 Billion person economy) does as Iran says, what hope is there for the US to resist the tide if the Middle East has its probable backlash after decades of interference which established Mubarak, the Shah of Iran, Israel and all the other despotic regimes out there?

Medvedev and Putin, courtesy of Huffington

This is easily my favourite line of journalism over at the Huffington Post today:

"While state-controlled national TV have given ample coverage to both leaders, Putin has been far more astute in using television to cultivate his image as Russia's most powerful person, riding a horse bare-chested through the mountains, swimming the butterfly stroke in a Siberian river and driving motorcycles. The IPad-toting and Tweeting Medvedev looks boyish compared to his steely-eyed mentor."

It's like Flash Gordon meets Dennis the Menace.

Non-story of the Week: Putin Back in Town.

Stop Press: Hatchet faced Russian to be replaced by Hatchet faced Russian

Whenever I see current Russian President/Mob Boss Medvedev (talk about a surname invented to make you mispronounce it) on the TV I smile at his amusing body language. Medvedev apparently runs Russia. Hmmm...and I am secretly the inventor of breathable oxygen.

It's not that I believe Mevdevev is an idiot (ok, I do) but it's more that his geezer-esque head jutting and neck stretching quirks are so "I'm in charge 'ere, mate!" that you can't help but check his arms for puppet strings. I picture Putin saying things to Vevdemev such as "My boy, if you behave yourself I'll let you keep the office stationery".

So Putin is back in town. Big deal; Russian society is in meltdown and has been since the communists left, leaving a moral vacuum at the heart of Russian society. Over 50% of the Russian male population is alcoholic (even higher in rural zones), the political establishment is more "rubble of roubles" than diplomacy troubles, and the economy is controlled by perhaps the most murderous and godless bunch of thugs ever to walk the good earth of Mother Russia.

If anything will change under Putin it is the following: Nothing.

I wonder how Cole Porter's "Anything Goes!" would translate into Russian...