Soviet Union is back; the Cold War resumes...

Many in the West would prefer to herald the Beslan tragedy as an opportunity for greater U.S.-Russian cooperation in combating terrorism. In reality, however, relations between Washington and Moscow are following a downward spiral. In Russia we find an emerging dictatorship that espouses a subtle anti-American propaganda. What was previously hidden has come into view: the totalitarians are still in charge. Putin’s pretext for strengthening his dictatorship is found at Belsan, in 350 body bags.

What actually happened at Beslan (where hundreds of children were slaughtered by terrorists)? We still don’t know the facts.

Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya says that the FSB poisoned her on a flight from Moscow to Rostov, effectively keeping her from reaching Beslan. She was not alone in being hindered. Journalist Andrei Babitsky was detained at Vnukovo airport on “a specious pretext.” Russian security personnel drugged Georgian journalist Nana Lezhava’s coffee, putting her out of action at a critical moment. The 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) took note of these and other incidents in a “scathing” report on the Kremlin’s handling of the Beslan affair. According to the OSCE, the Kremlin forfeited its credibility by preventing journalists from reaching Beslan. From the outset, Russian authorities told one lie after another. As if to prevent accurate information from reaching the outside world, Russian authorities also interfered with foreign journalists, confiscating television footage.

With Beslan as a pretext, Putin has moved to consolidate his already formidable powers. Russia’s so-called “democracy” is now being liquidated. This is not surprising for those of us who have watched the changes in Eastern Europe since 1989. From the outset, secret totalitarian structures were left beneath the surface to guide the process of liberalization, to herd the new business class and infiltrate the various governments. Organized crime became a prominent tool in this process. The secret creatures of the totalitarian apparatus came to power, as “dissidents” or as “reform communists.” Capitalism and freedom were set up in Eastern Europe with this endgame in mind. It was a confidence scheme; and now the scheme has played itself out. Moscow’s strategic gains have been absorbed, now the reversion begins.

Russia’s so-called “oligarchs” have been driven into exile, frightened into cooperation or arrested. The Kremlin has “cemented its control” over the Russian energy sector. The old Soviet anthem is back. Soviet battle flags have been restored. The founder of the Soviet secret police, whose birthday is Sept. 11, is now openly celebrated. The old KGB has taken Russia by the throat. The West’s alarm, however, is muted by hope. Nobody wants to admit that America’s Cold War victory was equivocal; that step-by-step it is coming undone.

Given the Kremlin’s dishonest behavior during the Beslan affair, would it be outrageous to suggest that the tragic massacre was a provocation organized by the FSB/KGB?

Already Izvestiya is calling Putin’s power-grab “The September Revolution.” Other Russian publications are calling it a “restoration.” Wednesday’s Washington Post featured a story by Peter Baker titled, “Critics Say Putin Must Address Security Corruption.” According to Baker, “Putin … had been planning to centralize … political authority for months and took advantage of the school seizure in Beslan to unveil the decision.” This begs the question. If the liquidation of Russian democracy was planned in advance, then how did Putin think he would justify his blatant power grab to the Russian people? Surely he had something in mind.

The following changes have been proposed by Putin: (1) Regional governors, instead of being elected by the people, will be appointed by Putin and confirmed by regional assemblies; (2) Duma representatives will be selected from party lists, making parliamentary opposition all but impossible; (3) the restoration of the death penalty is being contemplated (suggesting a return to the sanguinary “discipline” of the Stalin era). In keeping with recent developments, we can expect that private companies will be seized on various pretexts, bank accounts will be frozen and businessmen will be arrested as the Kremlin rebuilds its totalitarian machinery. Already the Russian government has announced a 50 percent pay increase for the military.

This so-called “September Revolution” has been greeted with dismay in Washington and London. As one might expect, Vladimir Putin will have none of it. He bluntly tells his Western counterparts to “stay out of Russia’s business.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that America has no right to impose its democratic ideals on others. “This is our internal affair,” he explained. “We, on our side, do not comment on the U.S. system of presidential elections.”

Moscow’s attitude is nothing new. The most distressing fact in all of this, however, is the ultimate non-reaction of the Western elite. There is a strong tendency to self-deception in Washington, especially where Russia is concerned, and this tendency is struggling mightily against truth. And what is this truth? Former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko spelled it out in his book when he described Putin’s objective as “the total destruction of the foundations of a constitutional society built on the admittedly frail but, nonetheless, democratic values of a market economy” in Russia.

The failure of freedom in Russia is a major event. No other country is as dangerous as Russia. No other country has thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at America. None has missiles as advanced as Russia’s. None has a submarine fleet as large. To rate Russia as “just another country” is to negate the last 100 years of history.

I should like to end with a quote from Bill Gertz’s new book, Treachery: “The record of Russian proliferation – to Iraq and other dangerous countries – is long. Classified intelligence reports show that for more than a decade Moscow used its arms sales to rogue states as a strategic hammer against the United States.”

I'd love to believe that, I just have a hard time holding out such hope when KGB agents takeover the elections process and muzzles the media. In particular one who does not hesitate to fatten his coffers illegally selling weapons being used to kill American and Brits.

Despite that, I do agree with much of your take on the situation. What worries me there is how Putin has so closely aligned himself with two other power hungry people, Chirac and Shroeder.

All three of them have visions of power and empire that I do not trust.

If I had even an inkling from you that you were sincerely interested in discussion, it would be different. But you have shown you are mostly interested in badgering, and not so good at reading and listening, just a sort of fevered-pitch posting. Good night.

Humanitarian aide? Is that anything like foreign missile technologies for peaceful space research projects?

So YOU believe it's fine to prop up the brutal and demented North Korean dictator, a man who slaughters his own people in the thousands, and to give him missile technology to threaten his neighbors with?

So YOU believe it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So YOU believe it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

"If I had even an inkling from you that you were sincerely interested in discussion, it would be different."

I guess that means you do agree that those are fine Christian values. I can accept that answer.

The missiles were sold to Ukraine. The Ukrainians sold them onto Iraq via Syria. How is Putin supposed to know where the missiles are going to end up? A lot of arms manufacturers, without the knowledge of their governments, supplied arms to other third parties. On the grey and black arms markets lots of weapons and equipment ended up in Iraq via this means. Western ammunition ended up in Iraq courtesy of the Jordainians. The arms market is exceptionally difficult to control. How did the North Koreans get their hands on US helicopters which made it into their armed forces? Why is the US, UK and the west still supplying arms to Arab and Muslim nations that one day could be used against US and Coalition forces if their nations go the way of Iran? If the Russians were airlifting huge quantities of arms or shipping them into Iraq then we could all start wailing and gnashing, but this was not the case. Dodgy individuals and black markets and arms sales to third parties produced arms to Iraqs - not direct government to government signed deals. Think Iran Contra and how the Iranians got spare parts for their F-14s and supplies of Hawk missiles during the 1980s!

Putin is not going to eliminate democracy entirely, but he is going to stack the deck. There is still a free press, in particular - Russian newspapers are all over the map in terms of quality, but at least it's not like it was in the days of Pravda.

I don't think Putin was being so much a friend to France and Germany, as he was trying to sell the idea that Russia is Arabist in its approach to the Middle East. He was securing customers and diplomatic points by doing so.

But then again, if there is a strong reaction against Islam in Russia, he will turn on a dime to accomodate it. He's definitely no fool.

Regards, Ivan

"The missiles were sold to Ukraine. The Ukrainians sold them onto Iraq via Syria. How is Putin supposed to know where the missiles are going to end up?"

I'd recommend you read what Bill Gertz is reporting, it will answer that and many other questions.

"Putin is not going to eliminate democracy entirely, but he is going to stack the deck."

Which leave Russia with only an illusion of democracy.

"There is still a free press, in particular - Russian newspapers are all over the map in terms of quality, but at least it's not like it was in the days of Pravda."

Read Putin's actions regarding the press and elections. Yes, there will be a free press, it just won't be free to cover elections, the affiliations or history of candidates, fraud, etc.

Putin isn't a fool, as he proved in his KGB and Stazi days. He is cunning and dangerous.

Russian is providing them with military capabilities they didn't have before.

Ouch, to be able to buy weapons, first you got to be able to afford them. And guess who supplies that? There is always someone else to blame for everything.
Come on, it is NOT black and white!

I laugh that Vladdy Putin is some Stalin like authoritarian.

Let's remember, the Cali cocaine cartel, through a Russian/Tel Aviv/Miami nightclub impresario, in 1995 came within an eyelash of buying a Russian submarine right off the Barents Sea dock! LOL

Lesson: Too many "independent contractors" in that country.

We've got Cold Warriors here with longstanding beefs.

So YOU believe it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So YOU believe it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

I accept your acknowledgement that Putin is above Christian values.

"Come on, it is NOT black and white!"

It's very black and white to our troops who are being maimed and killed with weapons that Putin illegally sold to Iraq, despite their own signature on the embargo.

It's very black and white that Iran, who is currently threatening to attack America, owes their nuclear program to Putin.

It is very black and white that Putin gave North Korea the ability to launch missiles that can hit Japan and possibly some of our own western cities.

It is black and white that Putin is providing China with the military ability to take Taiwan.

I don't see the grey areas there.

Gertz gets his information mixed up and totally wrong. He was bumping his gums in the last couple of weeks that France was government to government supplying factory fresh Roland SAMs before Iraqi Freedom commenced. As a serving Coalition member this was the biggest piece of BS ever written. All the Rolands found were early variants no longer produced and all delivered and in service with the Iraqis during the 1980s. None, repeat none, were Roland 3s or newly delivered from France. The missiles had been, like many other in their arsenal, refurbished by the Iraqi's themselves. The Iraqis were skilled at reburshing missiles and even converted some of their SA-6s with seeker heads from AA-8s in a bid to challenge Coalition control of the No Fly Zones.

"All three of them have visions of power and empire that I do not trust."

...a further word about that. We Americans are averted to "empire" and are particularly sensitive to renewed efforts to involve us in it or say that we are already willingly involved in it. We defend and even occupy to defend ourselves, if necessary. But most Americans want our troops out of foreign countries as soon as we can get them out, unless those countries become very friendly allies and want our continued assistance. We don't want our government to govern other countries unless temporarily necessary to our survival and theirs (e.g., Iraq).

Our most common mindset on empire is much the way it was with the Monroe Doctrine (early 1800s US decision to prevent any country, including our own, from ruling any areas of Central or South America to force wealth from them). We are averted to employing poeples of countries outside of our own for the purpose of forcing them to produce for us. That was even one point of contention in our Civil War, as the South wanted to claim and develop plantations with slaves south of our border.

The Stalinist system worked while its strategic posture was rational. What destroyed it was the insane expansionism of the Brezhnev era. Building a powerful blue water navy AND a massive expansion of land forces AND expensive proxy states in the third world AND a very expensive shift from light, relatively low tech fighters like the Mig-21 and Mig-23 to much more expensive fighters competitive with the F-16 and F-15 like the Mig-29, Mig-31, and Su-27/30.

So the Soviet Union, in effect, can be restored on a smaller scale including the Slavic parts of Mother Russia. Not trying to be a global superpower.

The Russian intelligentsia are mad over Putin's moves but the man in the street is not. The man in the street sees the Yeltsin era as a kind of Weimar, a nightmare time of squalor, depravity and national humiliation. He has no interest in fighting for the oligarchs. There is indeed, something in the Russian national character that enjoys seeing the high and mighty brought low, be they boyars, kulaks, Old Bolsheviks, or oligarchs.

It is black and white that Putin is providing China with the military ability to take Taiwan.

That's insane.

You need to find a way to emotionally divest Putin from the independently powerful mobsters and disengaged apparatchniks Putin is trying to control.

France and Germany unsuccessfully tried to set themselves up as the ruling powers of the EU. It did not work. Instead of a coalition of European states ceding power to those two nations we have a fractured and faltering EU.

To add to Germany's situation, through reunification they inherited half a nation that had grown up under Soviet domination, and a lot of politic ans of the "East" Germany persuasion. Most worrisome, just like in Russia, nationalism is on the rise. Last month two thousand Nazis marched past Rudolph Hess's grave. In Germany they are currently making a movie that portrays Hitler in a good light.

Combine that with the empire Putin desires and people should be cautious.

I don't see the grey areas there

Well, you seem to be very upset right now. Maybe, one day, we could go back in history and look how it all went by.
However, there is a song you might recall from that cartoon(?): "Blame Canada."

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