From Anders Aslund in the Moscow Times: “The fundamental point is that we have no idea what Putin is going to do because he does not want us to know — and because he enjoys dictatorial powers. The good news is that by overplaying his hand and surprising almost everybody at every turn, Putin is quickly and effectively compromising his authoritarian rule. The profound advantage of democracy is that decisions take time and require a certain consensus and elaboration. People need stability and predictability — something that Putin promises but no longer delivers.”