chapotraphouse

Oh i don't contest that. It's why i think China has a big role to play in their shift in thinking. The USSR had its flaws, and the people of Russia fear falling victim to them again. What needs to happen is a mental decoupling between the flaws of the USSR, and Socialism as a whole. China can be an example of how it is possible to prosper under socialism, and inspire people to think that maybe Russia can too. That perhaps the USSR had the right idea, but it just needed refining. I think the big tipping point will be when most of the world starts to see China as superior to the United States in its living standards. Which is close to happening. Russia may be one of the first currently capitalist countries to shift to socialism under a Chinese inspired model because of its own socialist history.

I also think that the current Ukraine war and war with the west in general will play a role. The USSR fought the Nazis and won. They made it all the way to Berlin. If modern Russia can not make but a fraction of that same progress people may start to wonder why. Why is it that the USSR was able to stand on equal footing with the USA for so long despite the USA having the backing of most european powers, and a geographical, and industrial advantage? If people start asking those questions, and then they see China doing the same thing also under a socialist government the answer should become obvious to them. Perhaps people will get curious and start to read Lenins words again. See the vision for a Russia he had, and then decide they too would like to see that Russia.