Phillip Samuels

It is contradictory. Russia is not predisposed to violence says Mark Smith but it's modern history is almost defined by violence, particularly state violence. Smith says it's not a uniquely Russian issue and it was only the decisions of its leaders. Of course, but when does Russia's unsurpassed level of violence - in the Stalin years - become a grisly default behaviour in its culture? With Russia, and I write this as a Russophile, the culture is brutal. iis