By Nikita Mikhalkov

The limits of power: why American materialism falters against the Iranian spirit

MOSCOW – In my view, this situation is less diplomatic, military, or political in nature than it is deeply rooted in the realm of mentality. The entire episode brings to mind a bodybuilder, artificially enhanced by steroids, his physique swollen with muscle, who—fully confident of victory—approaches a frail and unassuming Shaolin monk, one who has attained mastery in the martial arts. From the outside, the outcome of such a confrontation appears entirely predictable; in reality, however, everything unfolds quite differently.