In the provocative cartoon above Sergei Yelkin, a/k/a “Ellustrator,” describes three blue-shaded “freeze” periods in Russian history (from left to right those of Stalin, Brezhnev and Putin) and three green-shaded “thaw” periods following them (those of Khrushchev, Gorbachev and Medvedev).  As you can see, each type of period grows smaller over time, indicating that Russia is headed towards absolute inertia at best.  One reader drew a huge amount of feedback when he commented:  ”People who live on icebergs should not rejoice in news of a thaw.”