From: Axil Axil
... > There is a fair chance that Russia will become a failed state ... Maybe... maybe not. Paraphrasing an old saying: It's not wise to divide a Russian bare before it has been killed. > ...and its all Rossi's fault. Rossi will become a destroyer of nations. <IMHO> It would not be anymore Rossi's fault - not anymore than if he was in the business of manufacturing assault rifles and bullets, and some deranged lunatic decided to express his feelings by culling a populated shopping mall of half its paying customers with the gun and bullets Rossi is hypothetically responsible for having manufactured. After all the hand-wringing and recriminations have been delivered, after the last "WHY DID THIS HAPPEN...AGAIN!!!" is delivered by enraged and bereaved relatives, after perhaps some time later when a tiny iota of legislative sanity is finally restored within the United States and decent gun control laws are passed, in the end it will still remain, it will always remain the fault of the individual responsible for shooting the weapon, not the manufacturer of the weapon used or the bullets used. Likewise, if Putin gets his way and invests the bulk of his country's pension fund in Gazprom, and should Rossi's eCats (or some illegitimate progeny, like BLP) come to fruition, the blame will go squarely on the shoulders of Putin, not Rossi. If another revolution roils Russia back into the 17th century, the likes of which haven't been experienced since Dr. Zhivago; as disenfranchised peasants drag Putin out into "the people's" public square some fine below zero February winter day for an appointed meeting with a firing squad consisting of volunteers formally employed by KGB, the last words Putin is likely to hear are, "You little дерьмо,why didn't you invest in eCAT?" Axil, perhaps I have misunderstood the initial intent of your speculation. Perhaps you were just trying to be glib or sarcastic. (Sarcasm - I can understand and appreciate.) The point is I don't know if you really DO believe and stand by what you have stated here. With nothing to go on, all I can say is that such speculation astonishes me to no end. It strikes me as misplaced logic on a grand scale. Expressed conclusions such as these wouldn't bother me so much - except for the fact that I have found myself wondering if it is the norm rather than an aberration, particularly within my country, the United States. (Please understand, I realize you are not a United States citizen, or please correct me if I am mistaken on that matter.) What concerns me is that if such misplaced logic is more the norm, perhaps it might help explain why better gun control in the United States never seems to get passed. The fickle finger of blame never stops wagging. The finger never get pinned down. I hope you will set me straight and inform me of the fact that I had simply not perceived the sarcasm in your statement. </IMHO> Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson svjart.orionworks.com
