Same shit, different day.

New boss, same as the old boss.

You can't change the spots on a leopard.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

People never change.

I suppose you could explain the cyclical view of history as "people never learn" combined with 1 Samuel 8:3-20

There appears to be two sides to the argument on Russia, whether we should be their ally or their foe. Like most false dichotomies, the truth is not in the middle, but that both sides are correct. In this case, an old Nigerian tribal parable keeps coming to mind:

'You can try to make friends with a crocodile by throwing him rabbits every day, and he will come and wait for you every day and be tame as long as you have a rabbit to give him. But when he sees you one day with no rabbits, he will eat you.'

In regard to the West and the 'East' (Russia, India, China), we have a case of two alligators where one believes he can be friends with the other by feeding him rabbits.

The truth is, we both are nuclear powers, and we both have war machines that must continually be fed. Our peace and security is obtained through a strong state. War is strength of the state. Therefore, we seek peace through war.