Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
I don't think you can blame anyone for Russia. I am always amazed at how people underestimate Russia's power. The USSR collapsed less than 20 years ago, but people can't even remember what a threat it was. Communist regimes were popping up left right and centre.
I guess ultimately it was the collapse of the USSR which led to a lot of the trouble now. It basically created a power imbalance allowing the US to overexercise its power.
Anyway, I think Russia will once again emerge as a superpower after it figures a few things out. This seems to be the pattern in history largely. Russia goes into decline briefly then re-emerges stronger than ever.
|
I am not exactly sure where you were going with that but i certainly do not underestimate Russia's power TODAY, not to mention into the immediate future.
A few short years ago Russia was literally bankrupt and America was on the verge of a golden era. With strong leadership the world IMHO was poised for something great. Instead it squandered that global goodwill and moral legitamacy and has since floundered itself towards bankruptsy. While Russia has adopted the best of capitalism (and even of the outward vestiges of democracy) while maintaining/rebuilding a totalarian regime ruled by their own elite - sadly not all that different from what has increasingly become legitmized in America itself.
I think Zbigniew Brzezinski has really pushed a lot of thought in this area into very interesting places and his criticism of BOTH Iraq wars as a distraction from what should be true American goals is very valid, as is his warning that we will pay for ignoring Russia in the future.
But Russia is arguably stronger today than it has ever been, and it is growing quicker than ever! ALL while being more legitimate as many in the Russian middleclass now dismiss democracy as a facade of a corrupt American elite - no more or less valid than their own. not sure where that leaves us, but i do know it is not as good a place as we could be in when thinking back to 1989....
The Clinton years ignored trouble in the Balkins admittedly, but the Bush years have been far worse in terms of allowing corrupt elements to again entrench within Russia and to now grow their power...
The problem is not these other countries, it is America's own loss of moral and political legitmacy. Every Bush lie, even if the right-wing like Hoz agrees with those lies or can excuse them, is still one more step away form the rest of the world. Whether they see it or not.
Claeren.