Garry Kasparov: KGB State

Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, September 18, 2003 | GARRY KASPAROV

[presidio9]

When Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives at Camp David for next week's summit, President Bush will be welcoming the leader of a democratizing nation, a staunch ally in the U.S.-led war to defend the free world.

Right?

Wrong.

The world view that designates Mr. Putin as America's democratic ally is part of the same fragmented U.S. foreign policy in which the Pentagon has emerged as the most efficient branch of government. That's not to fault the Pentagon, which in its ability to cover any significant task in remote quarters has proved ready and efficient. But where the State Department and National Security Council should be providing diplomatic coverage and a plausible strategic rationale -- which certainly does exist -- for the global "War on Terror," there has been failure. Instead of offering us a new vision of global development, on the scale of Winston Churchill's historic 1946 "Iron Curtain" speech, the current administration has reduced its foreign policy to a vehicle of crisis micro-management.

[Maria S]

Wow! World's best chessplayer is ALSO politically astute. I remember when the Soviet Union backed Karpov over Kasparov because of Kasparov's views. (At least I THINK that's the way it was...been awhile ago!) I always thought Kasparov was such an improvement over Karpov, the scrawny little twerp!

[eno_]

Five years ago, then FSB chief Vladimir Putin spoke the truth when he said, "There are no ex-KGB officers!" Will the West ever learn?

The West is learning well, only they are learning the wrong lesson: Suspension and diminution of liberty are easy when the sheeple are ready to give up liberty for the Homeland Security's illusion of safety.

[Toskrin]

Kasparov has long made it clear that he has political aspirations. In one article he offers rare insight into both Vladimir Putin and the US State Department. Looks like we have someone to back for the next president of Russia.

[presidio9]

I am not sure why this article does not appear on the "editorials" list on the side of my screen. This is the most interesting article I have read today, and the most interesting article on Russia that I have read in quite some time.

[TopQuark]

Every once in a while, he writes for The WSJ --- always interesting, deep, and insightful.

[xp38]

He certainly beats Bobby Fischer in this realm.

[Carry_Okie]

Well worth the time. He's right.

One would think that Condi Rice would know better. What's missing from this picture?

[xp38]

I think Condoleeza Rice has a soft spot for Russia since she speaks the language fluently. She must have at least been fascinated with Russia to take up the language in the first place.

[eno_]

Oh man! Google up Bobby Fischer if you want to confirm he is still nutty as a fruitcake.

[tictoc]

Putin is a pretty cool customer, but I wonder how he would hold up if you set him down across a table from Kasparov, and then... THE LOOK

[Dog Gone]

Undercutting Putin only makes sense if you are certain he will be replaced by someone better. (See Jimmy Carter and "Shah of Iran")

[theFIRMbss]

>One of Yukos's major shareholders, Platon Lebedev, has been jailed on charges widely seen in Russia as having less to do with justice than with signaling to all Russian business that no one is safe. ...

[jimt]

Ping !

Your thoughts please.

[xp38]

No need. There have been a number of threads on FR that confirmed it.

[Carry_Okie]

I don't think that was Kasparov's point. He was indicating that we might have a better chance of assuring that better options remain in play by how we choose to react to Russia's machinations. There's nothing wrong with that.

[Dog Gone]

Well, he's very vague about what we're doing wrong, except that we're misunderstanding the situation in Russia. I'm not even sure that assertion is correct.

Most well-read people understand that Russia is hardly a model of democracy, that the legal system is unreliable, and that the country is run by a coalition of politicians and a criminal oligarchy. Nor is anyone unaware that Russia was quite unhelpful at the UN before the war.

I think Garry's piece is quite good in describing what's wrong with Russia and why we should be very cautious in our dealings with them. It's just that it seems to me that we are being cautious, diplomatic happy-faces nothwithstanding.

[Carry_Okie]

Well, he's very vague about what we're doing wrong, except that we're misunderstanding the situation in Russia. I'm not even sure that assertion is correct.

It's just that it seems to me that we are being cautious, diplomatic happy-faces nothwithstanding.

Actually, I think he makes the point that we have been cautious to the point of timidity that brings its own consequences and should be more aggressive in pressing our positions with Moscow.

[Dead Dog]

I think things are going along just as our State Department would have liked. They were deeply saddened by the events of the late '80s.

[Dog Gone]

He certainly thinks we're not being assertive enough with Russia, but I don't get the "timid" part. We're not afraid of Russia. He thinks we've been duped and Putin and the former KGB are out to get us.

I don't think we've been duped. It's a question of whether Russia needs to be encouraged into a functional democracy or bullied into one. That's a legitimate question for debate, although it is obvious that we've taken the more cautious approach. If the former KGB, including Putin, are resolute in undercutting the US, and encouragement will never work, then we have to consider what would happen if we get aggressive.