Posting On The Obvious
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Authoritarianism | Contra Tyrannum | Dictatorship | Putin | Russia | Tyranny — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Read this.
Done?
Good. Now tell me why on Earth it is that there is no serious commentary in foreign policy circles regarding the need to change and toughen up our policy concerning Russia. Tell me why on Earth it is that there is no serious commentary in foreign policy circles regarding the need to revive and resuscitate the successful negotiating strategy that the United States used during the Reagan Administration against the Soviet Union.
What? Are we waiting for Putin to see the light? I promise you he has. And I promise you just as well that he has decided to cut off the electricity in response.
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Posting On The Obvious 14 Comments (0 topical, 14 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
you probably have your own reasons for feeling this way, but I think any fair investigation will find "fascist Russia" a greater threat than "fascist China". China is more powerful in many ways, but they play ball much more than Putid does. Also, don't think those nukes just disapeared with Glasnost and Perestroika. The nukes are still there and Russia is spending mightiliy on their military.
The issue is Russia has regressed, no one can say that about China. China is better off today than it was ten years ago, Russia is much worse off. Yes, they have the petrodollars, but the country is becoming more and more like Nazi Germany. Putin even has his version of the Hitler Youth. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article...
And do not forget how Russia has used oil and gas as a political weapon against Eastern Europe and as the elephant in the room for Western Europe. Do not forget how Russia has said US missile defense shield will cause a new Cold War. http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2054142,00.html
end result, the diarist is right, Putin's Russia is a threat.
Molon Labe!
China has little to gain by rocking the trade boat right now. Putin, on the other hand, has little to lose by instituting iron-hand policies, all the while appealing to motherland nationalism.
Like you said, Russia has quite clearly regressed substantially since the turn of the millennium. Were I a citizen of any of the former Eastern Bloc nations, I'd be casting a very wary eye towards Moscow right about now. Not that there's any reason to necessarily fear any sort of immediate expansionist stirrings, but history has a definite way of repeating itself. I don't think anyone wants to go through another Cold War - even if it were to be slightly warmer than the last.
There are some harmful and mischievous things they can do, like helping Iran, but they have a complete basket case economy. a third world military (except for nukes). They have a severely declining population. And they have lots of enemies on their southern borders that they have to be wary of.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
...your lack of worry seems to be mirrored by the U.S. foreign policy establishment.
Myself, I'd like to see these issues addressed - with strength - before Putin's consolidation of power is complete and we (the West) have a whole new bag of Russia-related worms with which to deal.
the only thing I can see would be assassinating Putin, and we are not supposed to do that.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
The only option available is assassination? I know it's a Saturday, but man - what time did you start drinking this morning?
There are a plethora of options available to the U.S. First and foremost, I would suggest that it be made absolutely clear to Putin that continued U.S. aid and investment by American companies is severely threatened by the rolling back of democratic reforms in Russia. I'd also suggest that the U.S. lean on other Western nations (and Asian trading partners, for that matter) to do the same.
Russia can scarcely afford to lose the billions of dollars of foreign investment the West pumps in to their economy. bringing such pressure could either a) force Putin to curtail his power grab, and/or b) embolden opposition parties in Russia.
I think both above points can really be put together. Russia and China were both part of the War games where Russia decided it would be funny to send Jets into Alaska, London, Sweden and I believe Japan.
Russia had already flip floped more on the issue of Iran then most of the current blue candidates have on the issues of, well everything. I'm sure the tv and print media will take action against Russia's new dicatorship after they make sure that the Repubs don't screw with our next election. I mean sure its ok that half of New Jersey tried to vote for a Republican but had the machine choose Corzine instead, but once you close an election center on time in a apparent Dem zone, your stealing the election.
Maybe Russia just needs us to play fight with them, they were the big bully for so long and now all of a sudden we have issues of another sector for crazy to deal with and Russia just wants our attention again, like a loney puppy.
about Soviet/Russian aircraft flirting with the Alaska air defense perimeter or American aircraft flirting with the Soviet/Russian air defense perimeter in the Far East in Arctic. Back in the Seventies, I worked for a while on Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage and knew quite a few pilots. Practically every pilot I knew had a photo of his F-4 alongside a Bear somewhere over the Arctic Ocean. Screaming afterburner scrambles were an every day event as some Soviet aircraft, usually a Bear, popped up on the radar in the air defense zone. Likewise, we flew ELINT missions all along their perimeter. Even today, you see EC-135s coming and going from Elmendorf all the time. They're not going on sight-seeing tours. One of the often overlooked facts of the KAL 007 shootdown is that there was an EC-135 out of Adak on the same track that night and the Soviets likely mistook the 747 for the ELINT EC-135 they'd been tracking.
In Vino Veritas
I was leaning towards a post for the 4th anniversary of a Debka story revealing the basic geopolitical deal Bush and Putin have made. They have had more foresight than we tend to think these days.
"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.
"I was able to get a sense of his soul.
"He's a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country and I appreciate very much the frank dialogue and that's the beginning of a very constructive relationship," Mr Bush said.
Nothing to worry about here, carry on.
in other negotiations and in the cases you mentioned deflected some lines of questioning that would have been quite uncormfortable if they continued.
Sort of a "catch more flies with honey.." thing. In this case it didn't work out too well. I assume Putin's years with the KGB made him less susceptible to kind words.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
...Party infiltrated and usurped the Democratic Party during the 1960's. That same leadership is still in control of that party as well as maintaining and extending its control over the news and broadcast media and the country's higher education instituitions.
Are Hillary Clinton's programs socialist or aren't they? That subject will never be broached by any news organization because the 'S' word is simply off limits for all reporting regarding the former first lady. Meanwhile, the faculties and staffs of all the major universities, the staff of the NYT, the WaPo, ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC and their affiliates all eagerly work for and await the inception of the People's Republic of the United States beginning in January, 2009.
I don't really understand what you're hoping for. During the Cold War, the Soviets posed a military threat to us and our allies, both conventional and nuclear.
Are we afraid of such an attack now? Do we have reason to be? If not, what is there to negotiate with them?
I mean yes, I think it's terrible for Russians that Putin is doing all this, but we're already at war, and already have the looming threat of a Fascist China to worry about. I don't see what we think we can accomplish by trying to pick a fight with Putin.
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Let's nominate the Nash Equilibrium for President.