McCain Wants To Restart the Cold War

[AZXD]

LOL
What a joke!
McCain has forgot the basic reason that Russia fell. What country was the former Soviet Union F'ing around in just before economic collapse ???
Where are we, now ???

The man clearly has his priorities backwards, or has a plan to multitask this country into oblivion.

[trik396]

Originally Posted by AZXD

LOL
What a joke!
McCain has forgot the basic reason that Russia fell. What country was the former Soviet Union F'ing around in just before economic collapse ???
Where are we, now ???

The man clearly has his priorities backwards, or has a plan to multitask this country into oblivion.

Russia was trying to take over Afghanistan... I think that's a major difference between us and them...
Come on AZXD, that type of comparison is below your intelligence.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by tortoise1956

We didn't force the former east bloc nations to join NATO. They eagerly requested membership in order to prevent falling under the Russian sphere of influence again. What you fail to understand is that allowing them to be swallowed by Russia would be a repudiation of what we stand for as a nation - that everyone has an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, no matter who they are. I for one have no problem with letting them become part of an alliance that doesn't depend on coercion and force to maintain its membership.

Remember one thing; Russia and its leaders have had dreams of empire for at least the past 500 years. This has not changed under Putin, although it may be better disguised. Once you wrap your head around that, it may be easier to understand their actions in that context.

What about bribing people to join NATO? And, it's Lieven's contention that the U.S. can't back up its promises to defend these nations.

I don't believe it is the job of the United States to go around the world trying to force others to get life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That's in our founding documents, not anyone else's. Let others pursue and find their own way. Some, such as those in Russia, seem to value stability over freedom at this point. Putin had 70% approval ratings - a lot higher than anyone in our government!!

And, the U.S. already is an empire - not exactly what the Founders had in mind. The Russians may dream of one, but they don't have the capability at this point to get one.

It sounds to me like Putin is trying to establish a certain level of deterrence and strength in his country so the U.S. can't push them around. How would the U.S. react if Russia tried to get Guatemala or Honduras or Costa Rica to join some alliance with them? Georgia and the Ukraine are right on their borders.

And, I'm sure Putin has a big ego, but his behavior is based on realistic, geopolitica/geoeconomic considerations. With its increase in energy revenues, Russian elites now have the wherewithal to play more assertively on the world stage, Putin or no Putin. Putin (and now Medvedev) is simply an orchestrator of the national social forces now controlling Russia - the energy tycoons, the Russian military industrial complex and security sectors, the nationalist industrial elites, etc.

The U.S. post-Soviet-collapse aggressive strategy of world domination has played a big part in Russia's behavior. The neoliberal economic policies foisted on Russia during the 90s pretty much devastated the country. A popular nationalist reaction was the inevitable result of those policies.