The Artist Taxi Driver
By Michael Snyder: The
Russian Bear is stronger and more powerful than it has ever been
before. Sadly, most Americans don't understand this. They still think
of Russia as an "ex-superpower" that was rendered almost irrelevant when
the Cold War ended. And yes, when the Cold War ended Russia was in
rough shape. I got the chance to go over there in the early nineties,
and at the time Russia was an economic disaster zone. Russian currency
was so worthless that I joked that I could go exchange a 20 dollar bill
and buy the Kremlin. But since that time Russia has roared back to
life. Once Vladimir Putin became president, the Russian economy started
to grow very rapidly. Today, Russia is an economic powerhouse that is
blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Their debt to GDP ratio
is extremely small, they actually run a trade surplus every year, and
they have the second most powerful military on the entire planet.
Anyone that underestimates Russia at this point is making a huge
mistake. The Russian Bear is back, and today it is a more formidable
adversary than it ever was at any point during the Cold War.
Just check out the following statistics. The following are 18 signs that Russia is rapidly catching up to the United States...
#1 Russia produces more oil than anyone else on the planet. The United States is in third place.
#2 Russia is the number two oil exporter in the world. The United States is forced to import more oil than anyone else in the world.