Yes the US sits in a country with too many people and not enough resources, that is why they are continually attempting to expand and mine other nations for their resources, because basically they have an unsustainable human balance sheet. Russia on the other hand sits with total sustainability, it has the big building plot, it has the self suficiency, it has the correct balance of resources and people. With America heading for a brick wall, it is going to be quite a challenge to keep them under control, because like a dying man, they will look to cling onto anything to survive. That attempt at survival, will be, as always by trying to steal resources from others, because they have mismanaged their own air supply. We just need listen to our Patriach, we have a nice situation, building an energy efficient and resourse conserving Russian startegy, offers huge innovative and commercial opportunities. When you have a lot in the bank, the wise man looks after the wealth even more. The idiot is always in easy come, easy go mode. That's why the idiot is always fighting for the next meal!

When it comes to the definition of Liberalism, Kiril needed to put his own definition on the word and impute all sorts of lies on the concept as usual since religious conservatives are frustrated with the world that changes before their eyes while their spiritual world changeth not. Kiril also fails to remember the whole historical debate in Russia going back to the 19th century re "Slavophiles vs. Westernizers." Slavophiles wanted autocracy and rule from the top; Westernizers wanted parliaments, representative assemblies, a Russia where people could be in charge of their lives and not a Russia whose citizens live in world where "all rights are one side"--the nobility and privileged classes--and "all duties on the other"--the mass of citizens. Eighty years later the situation in Russia is more like the Westernizers' vision and Russia is better for it or we wouldn't even have the freedom to share ideas like this on the Net. We note Orthodoxy historically supported the latter position, the Slavophiles, and did so until the 1917 Revolution when their opinion then didn't mean much anyway. Is it supposed to again today? As least today in Russia, the Orthodox Church has more freedom so the West won't have to dis Russia anymore as being "atheist" only. In so far as their religious leadership is concerned, they/Kiril don't/doesn't know what they/he are/is talking about when it comes to talking about Liberalism. Perhaps Kiril's opinion should stick to liturgy and not Liberalism.

Patriach Kiril is probably way ahead of his time in his assessment of greed and waste upon our earth. This nonsense is not sustainable in the long run. People need to get back to basics and look after the health of out earth.

Yes, its easy for him or the Pope to sit in their palaces and throw rocks. Most people do labor for a living so they can have nice things and take care of their families. I choose not to live like one of their monks. Under Pres.Bush, Russia exported US$19.8 billion worth of merchandise to the United States in 2006, up 29% from 2005 and up 187% in just 4 years. Its still climbing Much of it in oil products and Aluminum. We have plenty of our own resources, its just cheaper to buy them on the world market. We pay for it in money and lost mining jobs. I dont see how this is "stealing" and is really a net benefit for Russia. Interesting he would mention the USA but not China, where air polution makes the air orange and people wear masks or India where the rivers run with pollution. We just put a carbon cap and trade system in place while both those countries boldy stated they wernt cutting back on anything. Might this Patriach be playing a little politics?

The Patriarch can rest a little easier, because with this economic crisis, folks in the US are actually spending less than they make right now. Therefore we are consuming a bit less than before. News out today said it was the first time in generations that Americans spent less than we earned. I don't recall us Americans living within our means since maybe the early 1960s. It must be due to all of those foreclosed people living in their cars, who no longer have monster house payments. It's a brave new world!

MEJansson - yes the US is definitely going through a hefty economic correction, a much needed one in the long run. It is good to see Americans starting to live within their means, it is the only long term sustainable option. But won't there be a huge sociological impact on the population, won't there be a bit of a withdrawel symptom, from the days of outright credit spiral. I could imagine it is quite an adjustment to move to save and spend, rather than put it on the card. Is this 25% of the population, that is pulling in their belts, or is it wider than that?

We should admit that the gravity is distributed quite honestly on Earth. It keeps us down and we fight against with every step. Liberalism is pretending to high rationale but evaporates progressively. Then, on its maximum it discovers the unconscious denying obsession – fighting religion. It keeps on fretting about religious sticking to the ground and “playing politics”. At this missed point the liberal thought condenses back (quite noisy cavitations) on the level where it creates a space junk. Because, even there, we have to maintain our earthly religious hygiene in order to enable this space adventure to navigate in the Solaris’s heaven. This Heaven is uniquely focused haven…and is quite honest...

Count Cash Yes, I agree there will be a huge socioeconomic impact. We have not seen times like these since the 1930s.

The Russian Patriarch is correct in telling America that it must curb its "reckless consumption." Americans tend to overbuy or buy items they do not even need. Until the current economic slump - the worst one since the Great Depression - many Americans would spend more money on their credit cards than they made each month. Hopefully, this recession will have a positive impact on our economy; namely, it will have taught Americans to be more frugal.

It won't end until there's blood. We're going to become more and more competitive with greater class divides and then eat ourselves because if one is tainted then they all are to a degree. There has to be balance within a society. There are some serious stress reactions going on our end and do to the number of explosions in Russia, I'd say the same. I go back and forth on the issue. Some days I think that it would be better if we all went back to living in huts with nice libraries but the status symbols in our society prevent this from happening because if one has something superior then they are, and they probably are but they won't always be... Then I think that the few who have temples (or whatever) will just collect the martyrs and use them for ill agendas, like in the Middle East. Every group has certain awarenesses but the giants look more perfect and are generally more stable because you get lines after a time and friend clusters but if there's too much inbalance, it's bad because humans seek to conquer. It's normal, but it doesn't have to translate into a nightmare. It's a variable in systems. Product of is? I'm angry right now because everybody is responsible for what a few do, and it'll always come back to me, so that makes me have to fight for survival, that I don't want but do by instinct, instead of work for a purpose. There are no clear lines to anything. We're told we're all equal? I don't think so. Equally human, yes, and that's probably the problem. I rely on the Patriarch to create safety switches to prevent disaster. Russia is the same, going down the same path, and it's annoying. Don't try to blame us. All humans take whatever they can, use and destroy. Look at what the oil is doing to the Native peoples. At the end of the day, there are too many people on Earth. I say everyone make it really bad so that we see the light. The enlightened among us go on a mountain side and just wait. I'm real simple, but this is never allowed.