Posted on 02/13/2007 9:59:27 PM PST by neverdem
The United States should work hard to develop a strong alliance with Russia. I believe such an alliance would be in the best interest of both nations.
During the Cold War, Russia -- then known as the Soviet Union -- was our enemy. But today, with radical Islam on the march, we should remember that Russia's roots are in Western civilization. We should nourish those roots and cooperate closely with Russia in the war on terror.
Russia has suffered large numbers of injuries and deaths as a result of terrorist actions, primarily by Chechnian Muslims who have been responsible for major terrorist acts in Moscow and the town of Beslan. The latter involved the killing of over 325 hostages -- half were children -- and hundreds more were wounded. Many of those deaths appear to have been the result of incompetence on the part of Russian forces seeking to free the hostages. Nevertheless, it was the taking of those children hostages by the Chechnian terrorists that caused their deaths.
Friendship with Russia is also important to the West because Russia has huge reserves of oil and natural gas. Russia is capable of supplying Europe's energy needs on a scale comparable to Saudi Arabia. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, however, Russian self-esteem has suffered in many ways. Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia is no longer seen as a world super power equivalent to the U.S. Some countries, which used to be part of the Soviet Union, have joined NATO, greatly reducing Russia's sphere of influence. Some of those former Soviet nations now have NATO weaponry in place.
Based on statements that President Putin made on February 10, Russia clearly feels threatened by the U.S. You don't have to be a psychiatrist...
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Transliteration error: ought to be "sredi blyadEJ," and "dErzha"
I love the way these things are offered. It is as if an alliance is purely a one-way arrangement, as if our side can just announce that we are allies and it becomes fact. The other guys don't have any input at all.
"A strong alliance..."
Does this mean we are going to send a shit load of manufacturing jobs there like we did with "strengthening our Alliance with China" back in the day?
Well, and I was born and grew up in Moscow. Eastern Europe of Western Christianity belongs to the Western civ, and is easily re-incorporated there. The other Eastern Europe is not, and does not. Compare the ease of decommunization in Lithuania vs. Belarus- they are geographical neighbors, but civilizationally they are strangers to one another. The former are people in [temporarily poor] hats, and the latter are monkeys in [poor] hats. In the former care, the hats are becoming progressively less poor.
Brighton Beach, in South Brooklyn rather close to Coney Island, is called "Little Odessa" for its large Russian population, including the 'Russian Mafia'.
It's got to be that bad pastrami :)
Considering Putin's refusal to condemn Lenin and the Cheka, this very well be what he is upset about!
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