I could listen to Stphen Kotkin for days and days and days. Thank you Lex for having him on your program. You're clearly an intelligent, questioning person. But so sad Putin doesn't want you back in your home country.  Yes, like some other countries, Russia has sadly experienced a very large brain drain.,(reply>), When will countries such as Russia and Iran realize that supression of its citizens leads to nothing positive. The United States has always benifited greatly from this wrong thinking by other countries throughout its history. Whether it be Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and within the last 45 years, Iran. West Germany greatly benefited East Germany's poor treatment of its citizens until the Wall went up.