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Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are my main intellectual influences and nostalgia for the Soviet Union is mostly shared by the elderly in Russia.
I personally see it as a period of triumph compared to the 20th-century experiences of other world powers of that time.
While America, Germany, Great Britain, France, and Japan spent the century on imperialism and racialism, Russia sought to manifest a utopian, egalitarian ideal.
To say that Russia needs to develop a farther moral base is an insane statement to make by a Westerner considering how spiritually and morally immature the West is.
That is not how it turned out to be though, did it? All I can say is that atleast the non-Russians did not pretend. Is it really any more morally good to feign "good-will", as the Soviets did? That is precisely what I meant by Russia eventually having to abandon all pretense. I'd rather deal with a pirate ship with a pirate flag, than a pirate ship that lies about its nature, only to rob you of any goods that you might have at the first given opportunity.
The criticism concerns both sides. Russian moral corruption is evident in its systematic corruption. Once they resolve their issues, I have no problem whatsoever in having faith in Russia as a world power. But right now, any power that is given to Russia, is going to be used wrongly, for the most part. That's because the legacy of Soviet Union persists.