The author writes that nostalgia for the Soviet Union is misplaced and dangerous given the Soviet state's shaky foundations and ill-fated, accidental citizenry. Russian leaders have put "too many eggs into one basket" in their reliance on the robustness of the extractive energy sector, just as their counterparts did during Soviet power. The author contends that if it does not change Russian domestic economic policy, the Duma sows the seeds of its destruction in the exact same fashion as the USSR. The author writes that state leadership must be prepared to make unpopular moves like implementing austerity measures during prosperous years or it risks catastrophe when oil prices inevitably drop. Succinctly, the author writes about how "it is imperative to fix the roof before it starts to rain, and why sometimes the past should be left in the past."

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