Talking about Russia, this is an interesting read
 

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog...ying-russians/

Very sad, but interesting.

Of course, one must also read this:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadom...an-demography/

Masha Gessen? Thank you, but no :1orglaugh

P.S. You must read her other articles then. They all are the same: "Russia is dying", "the sky is falling", bla-bla-bla. This is a theme of all her life. IMHO she's just a very depressed, lonely and sad person :2 cents:

Hah yea it certainly was sad, that's why I also now read that a lot of people just don't agree with her.

And yes, it's better to read Forbes because they are used to operate with numbers, which have nothing to do with subjective feelings of a depressed woman in menopause. So here we go:

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marka...Russia-TFR.png

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marka...Death-Rate.png

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marka...Mortality1.png

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marka...Expectancy.png

And now comparing to the Ukraine:

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marka...op-change1.png

P.S. I also don't like moronic Putin and I never voted for him, but I definitely can't notice any signs of "dying Russia". Don't forget, I live here and I see the life around with my own eyes :2 cents:

не читал, но осуждаю!

Like I said in another thread. Putin is doing what a leader does when he has nothing to offer. His country is falling apart, and his monkey brain sees grabbing other countries and projecting strength as the best option. What he's doing is a sign of weakness, not strength.

Yet when someone says such things about the US, they are obviously right in your eyes.

In my eyes?

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4699756800/h07EC84D1/

I guess the difference will be even more significant now, Putin decided to increase his country's population by taking land with inhabitants from Ukraine.

Cool to know there is at least one person on this planet who can read his mind. And it's a miracle to meet him right on this board :thumbsup

http://0.media.todaysbigthing.cvcdn....79002d7958.gif

P.S. The graph above is about natural population change (born/died).