A joke from Russia's soviet era: A rumor got around Moscow that in a butcher shop in one of Moscow's northern suburbs there was meat available for customers. So, Boris got up at 5 o'clock in the morning, made his way across town on the subway, arrived at 6 o'clock to find there was already an enormous, long line. He joined the end of the line and shuffled forward, a few steps at a time, all day long.

Finally, he arrived at the head of the line and got into the shop at 6 o'clock in the evening. He said to the butcher…