@ekg @Patricia i'm not sure what neoliberalism means in the context you are using it, there is nothing about the current Russian empire which is liberal or commerce focused. Neo-liberalism, in my mind, is about trying to achieve liberal goals by manipulating the economic incentives and allowing people to self-organize change, rather than directly regulating and punishing behavior. Trading in CO2 to lower emissions rather than banning coal plants outright for example.

@ekg @Patricia Russian government seems to have an emotional need to be an "empire" and won't accept a place on the world stage more in line with their economy and population. Instead of improving their economy, efficiency and standard of living, they are trying to take it from their neighbors by force because it makes them feel powerful and important. More than anything, the leadership of Russia needs therapy ;-)

@raven667 as I mentioned otherwise. Neoliberal belief lends them self well to justifying empire. Value is inherently plastic and can be shaped by the dominant power, mening people can be made lesser by defining their labour, resources, and capital as less valuable.

@raven667 the motivation behind that is to allow the destruction of the state. Neoliberalism is fundamentally an anti-state ideology, that's why we had massive waves of privatisation in the late 20's century.