Posted on 06/06/2006 11:22:15 PM PDT by vertolet
Relations between the US and Russia are deteriorating badly and there is a danger of conflict in the flashpoints of the south Caucasus, according to senior former officials and corporate leaders advising the EastWest Institute (EWI).
EWI board members at the think-tank's annual meeting in Charleston were almost unanimous in calling for moves to prevent what one called an emerging "cold peace" between the US and Russia.
John Mroz, founder and president of EWI, called the deterioration worrisome. He placed the trend in the context of growing distrust between the major powers, including China, with the world in a state of transition between globalised and marginalised societies "no longer on automatic pilot moving towards a market-centric world".
This had resulted in the rise of ethnic and nationalist identities, with growing numbers seeing globalisation threatening their cultures and religion.
Western societies were also losing their moral authority, he said, citing the example of the reported massacre of Iraqi civilians by US troops in Haditha which would inflict "enormous damage" on the US.
Several speakers - who under EWU guidelines spoke on condition of anonymity - expressed concerns that "populist" presidents in Taiwan and Georgia risked overplaying their nationalist hands and triggering military incidents or conflict between the US and China, and the US and Russia.
With Montenegro newly independent, and Kosovo on the way to statehood, the dangers of domino-style conflict were rising in the breakaway, Russian-backed enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
"Georgia is an alarming situation and worse than thought," said one former official.
"The mood is ugly and getting uglier," said a corporate executive on the state of US-Russia ties.
Noting that every declared US presidential candidate was "bashing Russia", one speaker predicted a worsening trend as both countries headed towards elections in 2008.
Established in 1980, EWI describes itself as a "do-tank", working mostly behind the scenes directly with governments to address global security concerns. In the mid-80s it arranged "non-meetings" of senior US and Soviet defence officials in Budapest to discuss confidence-building measures.
Under a new initiative, Germany has seconded Ortwin Hennig, a senior official dealing in conflict prevention, to EWI to head a task force on US-Russia relations. Washington and Moscow are also each appointing a senior diplomat to focus on the south Caucasus. EWI is working with diplomats from all sides preparing for the G8 summit in St Petersburg next month.
Whats the difference between an Italian widow and a whale?
"You obviously know nothing about Cook County, Illinois"
Listen to me . I know what you are. You use small incidents in the US to whitewash hundreds of years of despotism in Russia. I love to use the Cook County stuff to beat up on Democrats as much as the next FReeper. But I DONT use it to say "How can you criticize Russia when the same thing happens in the US".
Stop slandering MY country - and here is what really happened afer the recount in Cook county.
No one of your ilk.
Fortunately, you are as irrelevant to democracy or America's 'seriousness' about it as it gets.
Cut the crap, Vanjusha... but you won't, am I right?
How about comparing the dunset on Earth to that on Venus?
Oups, it's sunset, not dunset! Sorry for the typo.
Should Cheney not criticize any country if they regress in terms of democracy because other countries are even further behind?==
Yes especially if he bashes one country for "slide on democracy" then visits another which much more "sliding" and praises thier leader.
From aside prerspective it seems as extreme double standard. Which in turn gives the reason to Putin to say to all country that "they forgot thier pathos about democracy when concern thier interests". You see? The image of America in eyes of average russian was tainted by Cheney trick.
Fortunately, you are as irrelevant to democracy or America's 'seriousness' about it as it gets.==
Yeah I see. "Comrade wolf" eats whoever he wants and don't listen no objections. The "democracy" thing is just for dupes:).
So how do you explain the fact that after all these attempts Yushchenko is very alive and kicking while Milosevic whom nobody tried to poison in the Kevorkian Hague is dead?
>>>>John Mroz, founder and president of EWI,
>>What's this guy's political affiliation and to whom has he donated moolah?
$1000 to Dubya in 1999. From a search of the database at www.fec.gov (try it some time, it's easy):
Contributions to Political Committees
MROZ, JOHN E
NEW YORK, NY 10023
EAST WEST INSTITUTE
BUSH, GEORGE W
VIA BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC.
06/18/1999 1000.00 99034572798
Total Contributions: 1000.00
Well, it is too bad that his comments were not well received by the average Russian. I guess he won't be invited to Russia any time soon.
"I compared elections in Russia to elections in Chicago, and you have no answer to that."
I know you compared Russia with the US - "every local, state and federal election" and "its been ggoing on for years".
That is a common ploy by Russian marxist/relativists. Its called a Straw Dog and it a fallacy wherein an issue irrelevent to the debate is raised to equivocate judgement in the first. The debate is US reaction to Russias recent hamfisting and the Mother Goose Marxist replies with "well the US is just as bad as Russia because of Cook County so don't criticize Russia".
I responded to your silly comment by noting that elections in free republics are contested in a bipartisan manner. Russia does not have this and even if it did, it would not negate Russia's recent despotry.
"
I responded to your silly comment by noting that elections in free republics are contested in a bipartisan manner. Russia does not have this and even if it did, it would not negate Russia's recent despotry."
Once again, and as usual, you are WAY off mark. Comparisions of vote-rigging and election fraud in the US are quite relevant - or are you endorsing the Democrat Party? You've managed to defend them in your post, so why not endorse them. The DemoRats are professionals at finding dead people and illegal aliens to vote in elections - Chicago is a good example of the DemoRat machine (Daly) in action. But instead, you'd rather take their side than accept a legitimate argument because the person making it appears to be Russian.
Once again, you doubt the strength of the US - we can admit and recognize our weak areas with the goal of improving them. There is nothing wrong in this. But, you would rather use the "communist" tactic of not only allying yourself with the DemoRats, but "pinging" in a moderator in a lame attempt to get someone who sees through your ethnicity-based hatred banned. That's right - "inform" on someone who sees you for what you are in the hopes you can have him banished. Weak. And lame.
"Russia has been a blight to humanity and your straw dog fallacy will never change it."
Interesting statement. You admit to being from that part of the world. This means you share their heritage. In short, you're admitting to being a part of this "blight to (SIC) humanity."
"Comparisions of vote-rigging and election fraud in the US are quite relevant - or are you endorsing the Democrat Party? "
Romanov, you are an endless source of Fallacies of Debate.
This one is called the false dilemma - your comparison of elections in Russia and the US is a seperate issue from endorsing the Dems (which I dont).
I hope this is not a shock to you , but it is quite logical for me to deny your absurd comparison of Russian and US elections without being a Democrat (duh).
bwaha
Unfortunately spanalot you left out one HUGE thing - when you were "debating" (quotations, because your debating style consists soley of "ethnic based hate") you were trying (vainly) to slam Cheburashka by inferring the US doesn't have fraud in its elections. ANY fraud is wrong and bad - regardless of the country.
"ANY fraud is wrong and bad - regardless of the country."
Only if one wants to deflect attention away from real despotisms like Putin.
How dare you compare elections in the US with Russian election fraud in Russia.
"How dare you compare elections in the US with Russian election fraud in Russia."
Why not - it's very similar or are you defending your Democratic Party AGAIN?
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