Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev once infamously threatened that, "Communism will dance on the grave of the capitalist and we will sell you the rope you use to hang yourself." Could his prediction be coming true? As Vladimir Putin’s aggressive efforts to recreate much of Russia’s former power and influence, Western businesses seem only too happy to sell him the material, equipment, and services he needs to recapture some of Russia’s old imperial glory. We read on the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal that: Angela Merkel is carrying a clear message from Germany's business lobby to the White House: No more sanctions. Several of the biggest names in German business -- including chemical giant BASF, engineering group Siemens AG, Volkswagen AG, Adidas and Deutsche Bank AG -- have made their opposition to broader economic sanctions against Russia clear in recent weeks, both in public and in private. As a result, Germany's...(Read Full Post)