When the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia faced a major recession, lost all of the former soviet territories and was forced to cut a lot of its funding for weapons. Weapons, money, its size, and isolation were the only things that propelled Russia to superpower status. In comparison to the US, its citizens do not have as many freedoms, and do not live as high of a standard of living. While Russia has its ups and downs its current military actions, deteriorating foreign relations, and economic isolation are preventing it from achieving superpower status. The U.S. has maintained its status mainly because all the billionaires that fund are government say we are. However, America cannot continue its reign with the current shape of the country. China is set to pass the U.S. in the next twenty years anyway. But the most important thing is does it really matter? As a citizen of the United States, I would much rather live in a country that cares more about its people and their well being than maintaining its status as the "number one country" because we've bombed and invaded more countries than we can count. Many European and oceanic countries enjoy a much more stable government and a nicer life than Americans and Russians because they aren't superpowers. Their governments have used their funds wisely to create nicer education and healthcare systems instead of building nuclear weapons that can destroy the Earth. But if Russia does want to be a superpower its current government layout (and president) will have to go. Putin's actions in the long run will not benefit Russia or its people. I don't really like the term westernize because it discourages cultural freedom, but if Russia could use anything right now, its a more democratic government with more power to its citizens. Russia has a very rich and cool history and culture and it would be a shame for it to go down in history in a bad way.
Because that's what an informational field you were raised in / are surrounding by / is telling you. I can cherry pick tons of legitimate evidences that Germany or Israel are super powers... even more than the U.S. AND omitting some other, not so "alluring", facts.
I can also provide tons of legitimate proofs, that the U.S. is not a super power. Comparing its debt - http://www.usdebtclock.org/ - with the ex-Okraine's one, I hesitate to say which one of them is a real joke...
So it all depends on what you define as "super power"... and your enlightenment about "who owns whom"... did I mention, that the U.S. dollar is printed in North Korea?
When someone can destroy the whole planet multiple times (there are more fingers on one hand than countries who can do it) it changes positions of that country in the world dramatically. Even if you don't want to think this way. Nothing changes that amount of power.
Who says that Russia is not? If it wasn't like you said the US would have invaded them already just like they've done with many other countries all over the world.
It's interesting, why you so think. Because facts tell a different story.
They gave up spending money on weapons.
the mail order brides are holding them back
