Mark Adomanis: Russians are facing a stark choice
Pro-Kremlin activists check Western food products, in a supermarket in Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2015.
Back in May, it seemed as if the worst was over for Russia. Oil was cautiously rebounding into the $70 a barrel range, the economy (although clearly shrinking) was faring modestly better than expectations, inflation (although high) was starting to moderate, and the ruble had recovered a good deal of its earlier losses against the dollar, and the Central Bank was confident enough in the economy's prospects to begin gradually ratcheting down its emergency rate increase.
