What a missed opportunity to change the world. After the USSR fell, we could have embraced Russia and acted as an impartial negotiator between it and the former Soviet countries. For some reason, we could never get over the old Cold War mentality, even though Russia is a historical Western country.
Some make this as simple as Russia bad, Ukraine good. The truth lies somewhere in between.
Foggy Bottom folks wanted to protect their phoney-baloney jobs.
Plenty of those with that same mentality on FR these days unfortunately. I grew up in the 50's, and know full well what the mentality was back then. Democrats and Republicans both are using that same mentality today to destroy this country, and drain it dry.
It was tried. The former apparatchiks in Russia stopped it.
“Russia is a historical Western country”
Err.. no it isn’t.
Russia or rather Muscowy is descended from the Mongol khaganate.
The Duke of Moscow, a vassal of Vkadimir-Suzdal, became the Golden Horde tax collector. Then, when the Golden horde split, the Grand Duke of Muscowy competed with the Khans of Astrskhan, Kazan etc to take over the lands of the Golden horde. Btw those Tatar khans became “Russian” aristocrats.
Then the Tsars of Muscowy went onwards to conquer the rest of the split khaganate , first the Jochi areas, then Chagatai with the conquest if Siberia, and finally with the Toluids, conquering Mongolia proper
“What a missed opportunity to change the world. After the USSR fell, we could have embraced Russia and acted as an impartial negotiator between it and the former Soviet countries.”
Not long after the Soviet Union disintegrated, in 1991, Russia invaded Chechnya (in 1994). Russia was in no mood to negotiate away any of its former holdings, then or now.
Trump was well on his way, UNTIL Obama/Clinton decided to weaponize an election. They are now so deeply into the deception, the only way out is to destroy a country that is not our enemy. Russia has LONG been our ally. The time beginning in 1945 was another stategic miscalculation. The Americans could have easily used Patton and his idea to arm the German army to kick the USSR out of Europe. Then we could have simply ended the future Cold war easily. They left the table set like they did, to GUARANTEE future conflicts. Just like we didn’t support Chiang Kai Shek and push Maoists into a pit filled with lime.
“missed opportunity”
YUP; it’s name was CLINTON!
>> For some reason, we could never get over the old Cold War mentality, even
>> though Russia is a historical Western country.
Not really. Russia was NEVER a part of the West. Russia never participated in the Renaissance, the Reformation or the Enlightenment. It paths with the West split during the Middle Ages and the Mongol rule of Muscovy.
While there have been Westernizers within Russia at various times, including a few Tsars, it’s a stretch to consider it a part of the West.
Whether the Russian wears a 17-th century kaftan or a 21-century business suit, he’s still an oriental despot.