My wife and I went round to our neighbours' yesterday for a new year drink. In the general chit-chat that developed, about everything and nothing in particular, one of them piped up with a gem of a question: 'Do you think Russia is still communist?'
Well, like a good socialist I seized my chance to say that they certainly aren't, but that I didn't think they ever were.
The one thing I half expected didn't happen – to be mildly sneered at for being ignorant of Russia's 'communist' past, thereby being given a chance to expand on my statement. The other thing I half expected did happen – not a hair was turned, and the talk drifted to other things.
Ho-hum.