In a news item which brought back shades of the Cold War era, it turns out the Russians are rigging elections to a greater degree than perhaps since the Soviet era. We have been told that the strongman is the natural state of affairs over there and, given the choice between criminal oligarchs and the strong hand trained in the KGB, wouldja blame them. It's odd but my first reaction was a little nostalgic and a little relief, given nasty things like this laying around the Russian countryside and harbours.