Thus The Wall Street Journal today. “Russians and Westerners don’t just have different opinions about events, they believe in a different set of facts,” explains the newspaper. Total boss’ death a few days ago looked like an accident to many in the so-called west, but it looks like a plot of the Central Intelligence Agency to many Russians. More important, the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych from Ukraine was fomented by western intelligence agencies according to the Russians while the westerners see his flight as the result of a popular movement at home. Vladimir Putin is perceived as a dictator by the west, but Russians see attacks against him as attacks against Russia itself. The article focuses on conspiracy theories that thrive in Russia. One way or another, the west and Russia appear like two people in a dark room. They are worlds apart. This is how things will stay, too, for there is no political will on either side to bridge the gap. Of course, the west is not exactly free from its own divisions. Consider America and Europe separately, and there are three people in the dark room. China is not mentioned in the article, but it is yet another person in the same room. Add India and Brazil, and the room is getting pretty crowded. Alternate realities are perforce becoming intertwined in unpredictable ways. No prize for guessing the ultimate outcome of such a bloody mess.