Quote Originally Posted by mishau_ View Post
Короли и прочие самодержавные монархи все свое богатство хранили в собственном государстве, чего не скажешь о современных диктаторах, и всяких высоких постсоветских чиновниках. Бессмысленно со стороны западных политиков обвинять Россию в продажности и воровстве, до тех пор пока наворованные в России средства успешно инвестируются экономику западных стран. Это я так, думая про Лужкова и пр.
Yes, I agree that "the West" has treated Russia pretty badly. First doing everything in its power to sabotage for the USSR, then looting after it was dismantled, and now constantly critisizing things like "human rights" in Russia and uwarranted scaremongering about the Russian military.
What happened in the USSR, what happened afterwards and what problems there are (or aren't) with human rights inside of Russia, is the Russian peoples' problem. Likewise whether or not Russia is a democracy. Whatever the people there prefer, or ar prepared to put up with, should be accepted by other countries.

As a general rule, I think that national leaders ANYWHERE should ideally be people who are more interested in the welfare of their country, than by getting rich themselves.

If someone who is very interested in getting rich and living in a palace etc, becomes prime minister or president, it is not very hard to realise that he will be tempted to enrich himself and loose focus on what's best for the country.