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.”

Well let's just look at one of those Nyquist claims to believe and uses for his evidence.

Anna Politkovskaya

"There's a hint by Moore of the second reason for Bush's proximity to Putin. Both of them are from the "Cold War" generation. They were brought up in this style, the traditional "a bash on the head and keep it in your hat" is nearer and dearer to them than tolerance. Certainly, this is the plague of that generation, which is lost without opposition. They have no culture of creation. And, after a decade of dancing with joy at the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's suddenly boring without an enemy. The most improvised material in this sense was the Islamic world. First - (changing) the face of its individual representatives. Later, the exclusion area began to be enlarged. They began to convert the Islamic world into the strategic enemy of the Christian world. But in reacton to this transformation, and in connection with the methods used in this fight, even those Moslems - who had nothing against non-Moslems and lived in the tradition of tolerance - became the supporters of fight against Bush and Putin."

Gee, she sounds kind of like...you, actually. Only she includes Bush.

There are grains of truth mixed with misdirected paranoia.
There is not much point trying to separate the fact from fiction.
And it is pretty much the same thing Dims have been saying about George W. Bush.
(son of a former CIA director)
As long as the US can blow up the rest of the earth,
the threat from nation-states is obsolete.

LOL! You keep trying to twist and squire away from the issue. Even before the terrorists attacks in Russia, your so-called Christian Putin was illegally selling embargoed weapons to Iraq...weapons that are still be used to kill our troops.

Your response...none.

Even before Russia latest crisis, which Putin is using to rollback democracy in Russia, your so-called Christian Putin was giving missile technology to North Korean...to a sick, evil, twisted dictator. Putin's excuse? North Korean intends to use it for peaceful purposes.

Your response...none.

Before Putin's self made crisis he was giving nuclear technology to Iran, a nation that is currently making threats directly at America.

Your response...Micheal Moore, Serbia BS and a total avoidance of the actions of your so-called Christian Putin...arms merchant to dictators and evil islamic regimes.

So, do you deny that Putin supplied missile technology to North Korea?

Do you deny that anyone with any intelligence whatsoever would recognize the North Korean dictator as a twisted evil monster?

Do you deny that Putin gave nuclear reator technology and assistance to Iran, an unstable Islamic Extremist nation with a history of anger at the United States?

Do you deny that Putin illegally sold embargoed weapons to Iraq that are still be using to kill our troops?

And how do you square those actions with Christianity?

If he had an interest in world peace and stability, yes, he would defuse the situation in Iran that he created.

He would also do something about that psychotic despot in North Korea with advanced "peaceful space exploration" technology that he gave them.

It's too late for him to do anything to remove the weapons he illegally sold to Iraq.

So, do you deny that Putin supplied missile technology to North Korea?

Do you deny that anyone with any intelligence whatsoever would recognize the North Korean dictator as a twisted evil monster?

Do you deny that Putin gave nuclear reator technology and assistance to Iran, an unstable Islamic Extremist nation with a history of anger at the United States?

Do you deny that Putin illegally sold embargoed weapons to Iraq that are still be using to kill our troops?

And how do you square those actions with Christianity?

With the Russians, it's a case of the enemy of the enemy is my friend..

Same old crap.. They're out for themselves, we're out for us.

I think we can make a strong case of uniting against a common enemy, islamic terrorism.

Who cares about the rest for now.

"You're here on a mission to destroy Putin's/Russia's reputation."

Putin and his Foreign Minister led the Russian government to assist Saddam Hussein's regime with illegal funds and arms trade, and they continue to assist the Iranian terrorists, Syrian terrorists, Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups against us while refusing to acknowledge that those are terrorist groups. Putin has also begun to shut down democratic processes there and to take control of them. He has shown no true desire to stop terrorist attacks against his people while perpetuating his obsession with making Chechnya part of a new Soviet Union.

We didn't make his reputation for him. He earns it, himself. It's up to him as to whether he wants to change his ways and stop opposing the real War on Terrorism by sending votes to the UN in favor of doing so.

"I think we can make a strong case of uniting against a common enemy, islamic terrorism."

Knowing your enemies is seldom that easy. In comparison, the threat to our nation and the world from the old Soviet Union was greater then the threat from a stateless enemy.

Putin, long lamenting the collapse of his beloved Soviet Union, is now taking the steps to make himself supreme dictator of a new Soviet empire; aligned with Germany and France.

As long as he stays on that road to total control he is a danger that cannot be ignored.

The old USSR never toppled our buildings. Or dared attack the USA in any meaningful way.

If anything, the USA got close to them in Vietnam and Korea. Proxy wars, of course, but neither side got their homelands blown up.

islamic terrorism is the #1 enemy of the modern world. Even a Putin derived renewed USSR wouldn't be such a threat. They'd still have something to lose. islam just has mecca and medina, which everyone considers 'off limits', so there is NO deterrence.

Please bear in mind that at the same time Putin was selling arms for urgently needed cash, the Clinton administration was upgrading Chinese weaponry for urgently coveted cash. Violation of UN sanctions was currency gor Europe...Putin must have face enormous pressure to get with the program or risk his hold on the country. Thereis a large sentiment for the old CCCP, Putin must transition carefully, or risk the collapse of what nascent freedoms have sprouted there. Without support from the West, Putin's prospects are bleak. Russia, and the world, can do much worse.

"I said what I wanted to say."

Yes, nothing. You cannot reconcile the proven actions of Putin with what you claim is his Christian faith. Christians do not arm murderous dictators with missile technology. Christians do not supply rogue nations with nuclear technology. Christians do not illegally supply embargoed weapons to nations that they themselves agreed to place sanctions on.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.