The easiest and the most understandable idea for Russians to cling to is patriotism.

Negroponte cited patriotism, building critical mass , and providing a means for children all over the world to communicate.

Afghans are patriots, with a rich history of fighting for independence and against foreign invasions. British and Soviet attempts to bring the country to heel were both repulsed by Afghans.

At the same time, I ve always been a bit obsessed with the link between nationalism and culture, so I was drawn to Venezuela, given the hyper nationalism that has characterized the Bolivarian government.

Only two events have the power to mobilize and energize this sense of patriotism the October revolution of 1917 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941 1945, which turned the USSR and Russia into a great world power.

Chest thumping exceptionalism has given way to a more sober patriotism, in which ordinary citizens recognize the long term trends eroding the promise of equal opportunity, particularly the shortcomings that beset the country s health care, education, and infrastructure systems.

The Russian federation remains a collection of multinational states in need of some unifying idea of statehood and nationality to keep them together. The easiest and the most understandable idea for Russians to cling to is patriotism.