If we look far into the future, one can see a time in the 21st century when both Europe and the USA will be in dire need of Russia as an ally.

We never know beforehand how new posts or new work will change us.

As for Europe, its claims towards Russia are fairly transparently based on fears about energy, unjustified fears at that.

Macbeth's self-justifications were feeble - and his conscience devoured him. Yes, even Iago was a little lamb too. The imagination and the spiritual strength of Shakespeare's evildoers stopped short at a dozen corpses. Because they had no ideology.

I insist on believing that beauty elevates human beings.

You're sincere, but in order not to upset your views you avoid talking with people who think differently. You pick your thoughts from conversations with people like yourself, from books written by people like yourself. In physics they call it resonance. You start out with modest opinions, but they match and build each other up to a scale.

Cracks make caves collapse.