News: World Economy Slums - Do We Need a New Cold War?
Have you noticed too the slowly but steadily escalating posturing between Russia and the US... ?
And to top it off, the Russian propaganda machine thought it would be useful to continue the posturing by showing Putin in military fatigues doing all kinds of macho stuff during his holiday (see picture courtesy GQ-magazine ).
I guess it all started with their stand-off on the war in Iraq. They certainly did not agree on Iran, with the US trying to force Iran out of their nuclear ambitions while Moscow supplied fuel for the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant.
Then there was an indirect standoff during the Orange revolution in the Ukraine, taking one more nation away from Putin's area of influence. Add their differences about Kosovo's independence, the recent integration of ex-USSR satellite states into the EU (with the alleged Russian-stoked unrest in Estonia), etcetera etcetera, and you have a recipe for problems.
Even more worrying is the recent escalation of direct posturing. NATO wants to install new radar installations in countries which used to be direct USSR allies. Russia says: "Ahaaa" and tests a new long range missile and re-activates its long range spy plane flights, which alerted the UK to scramble RAF jets to intercept it.
To counter NATO, Russia is now boosting the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization or SCO (call it "their" equivalent of NATO) with its first massive joint military exercise involving 6,500 troops, including elite troops from China..
And to top it off, the Russian propaganda machine thought it would be useful to continue the posturing by showing Putin in military fatigues doing all kinds of macho stuff during his holiday (see picture courtesy GQ-magazine ).Why, would one ask? Why? Well, one answer is too many nations are fed up with the US having free hand to do whatever it wants in the world (after the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq) and Russia gladly volunteered. Maybe Putin needs to show a harder image for the upcoming legislative elections. And is there not one or the other kind of election coming up in the US neither?
But I think it runs deeper. I think the US and Russian economy are in that much trouble, they need a new cold war so that defence spending would lead to a new boost for their economy. Call me a pessimist. Call me a sarcast. But that is what I really think.
Peter. Flemish, European, aid worker, expeditioner, sailor, traveller, husband, father, friend, nutcase. Not necessarily in that order.
3 comments:
Call me an optimist, but I think it's a good thing.
Not that I am a Putin-fan, but I think the US needs a counterbalance. China might have been one, but the culture and the values are way too different. Russia and the US are extrememy similar and basically share the same set of Western values, they make two worthy opponents..
And if this "Cold War II" improves the economy in Russia, well, they might end up paying the retirees' pensions, and nobody could decently complain about that!
Oh, and I wanted to thank you : I got back in touch with an old colleague of mine (candide at blogsome) via your blogroll: thanks ! That was a nice surprise.
Last week Georgia claimed Russian planes dropped a dead bomb onto their territory, sparking accusations of all sorts. To me, Putin has been tightening his grip on everything (news, oil) and everyone (opposition, including the robber barons who oppose him). He's ex-KGB, and now he's in a feud with Britain over the poisoning incident. He's threatened to cut off oil to neighboring countries. Several news reporters have been strangely killed (assassination style), or jailed (one recently in a mental institute). He's also selling arms to the gov't in Darfur. Putin is just continuing the Russian tradition of grabbing whatever he can, exerting as much power as he can, and trying to expand his realm. I don't think much has changed since the wall fell / glasnost. I think for everyone it's still business as usual, and it just surprises some who have an idealistic view of the world. Now the US and China are in a tit for tat fight about imports and exports. - Same old, same old....
The photo of Putin - I don't know if that's fugly or downright creepy. Although I will admit, it's much better than seeing "The Decider" in shorts and crocs with socks. That's just tasteless.
i watch russian and american news. the first article in america that i saw about the whole georgia issue was that russia was at fault and they did this and that. on and on. funny thing is, where there any interviews? NOOO. next i watched the russian news. There were people of South Ossetia saying that they were very happy that russia came in. (i speak russian). According to legal documents, South Ossettia became it's own legal country or residence since 1915!!! and since then, Georgia has INVADED south ossetia 9 TIMES. On the ninth time Georgia invaded, aug 8, 2008, Russia decided to help South Ossetia out. Before Russia even showed up, GEORGIA KILLED 2000 PEOPLE!!! DO YOU SEE THIS WRITTEN OR SHOWN IN AMERICA?!?! SO WHO IS THE REAL TERRORIST? All Russia was doing was trying to help innocent people. In Parliament, When Russia and South Ossetia were voting if South Ossetia could become a republic of Russia, THERE WERE NO VOTES AGAINST IT FROM EITHER SIDE!!! Georgia just wants control over South Ossetia, and the only way that they're doing it is through VIOLENCE! And when Russia destroyed those ships...we were not the ones that were blocking the way. Georgia and the U.S. just stood there with their o so scary guns threatening Russia. It's almost as if the U.S. and Georgia wanted to start a fight. Thing is, they did and they lost. South Ossetia is now in good hands, and the next time Georgia tries to touch it...Good Luck.
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