The New American Cold War

[cool user name]

The New American Cold War

Contrary to established opinion, the gravest threats to America's national security are still in Russia. They derive from an unprecedented development that most US policy-makers have recklessly disregarded, as evidenced by the undeclared cold war Washington has waged, under both parties, against post-Communist Russia during the past fifteen years.

As a result of the Soviet breakup in 1991, Russia, a state bearing every nuclear and other device of mass destruction, virtually collapsed. During the 1990s its essential infrastructures--political, economic and social--disintegrated. Moscow's hold on its vast territories was weakened by separatism, official corruption and Mafia-like crime. The worst peacetime depression in modern history brought economic losses more than twice those suffered in World War II. GDP plummeted by nearly half and capital investment by 80 percent. Most Russians were thrown into poverty. Death rates soared and the population shrank. And in August 1998, the financial system imploded.

No one in authority anywhere had ever foreseen that one of the twentieth century's two superpowers would plunge, along with its arsenals of destruction, into such catastrophic circumstances. Even today, we cannot be sure what Russia's collapse might mean for the rest of the world.

Outwardly, the nation may now seem to have recovered. Its economy has grown on average by 6 to 7 percent annually since 1999, its stock-market index increased last year by 83 percent and its gold and foreign currency reserves are the world's fifth largest. Moscow is booming with new construction, frenzied consumption of Western luxury goods and fifty-six large casinos. Some of this wealth has trickled down to the provinces and middle and lower classes, whose income has been rising. But these advances, loudly touted by the Russian government and Western investment-fund promoters, are due largely to high world prices for the country's oil and gas and stand out only in comparison with the wasteland of 1998.

More fundamental realities indicate that Russia remains in an unprecedented state of peacetime demodernization and depopulation. Investment in the economy and other basic infrastructures remains barely a third of the 1990 level. Some two-thirds of Russians still live below or very near the poverty line, including 80 percent of families with two or more children, 60 percent of rural citizens and large segments of the educated and professional classes, among them teachers, doctors and military officers. The gap between the poor and the rich, Russian experts tell us, is becoming "explosive."

Most tragic and telling, the nation continues to suffer wartime death and birth rates, its population declining by 700,000 or more every year. Male life expectancy is barely 59 years and, at the other end of the life cycle, 2 to 3 million children are homeless. Old and new diseases, from tuberculosis to HIV infections, have grown into epidemics. Nationalists may exaggerate in charging that "the Motherland is dying," but even the head of Moscow's most pro-Western university warns that Russia remains in "extremely deep crisis."

The stability of the political regime atop this bleak post-Soviet landscape rests heavily, if not entirely, on the personal popularity and authority of one man, President Vladimir Putin, who admits the state "is not yet completely stable." While Putin's ratings are an extraordinary 70 to 75 percent positive, political institutions and would-be leaders below him have almost no public support.

(snip)

Extremely long but well worth the read ....

[Demeter]

1. A Picture of the US in 10 Years

or maybe less, if Bush pulls a permanent coup.

[Posteritatis]

2. That *is* interesting

Especially that bit about the US essentially treating the former USSR like a defeated power after it collapsed. I hadn't thought of it in those terms, but I can kind of see it now.

As if I didn't have enough to worry about when I thought about geopolitics.... Oyy. Thanks for posting that, though.

[DELUSIONAL]

3. Interesting reading in light of what is happening in the Middle East

When the Berlin Wall fell -- Papa bush looked pissed and disappointed -- the cold war was over but he didn't seem glad.

I don't think he was happy and neither is his son -- so they want a new cold war.

Is there anyone in the current bush gang with the maturity and long vision to understand what the real options are?

It seems like the bush gang just reacts -- gut/emotional reactions -- rather that a reasoned, logical plan or vision for the future.

[cool user name]

4. The war profiteers ...

Did look disturbed back then, eh?

Anyway, we always have "terrorism" to be vigilant against.

And yes, this is a very interesting read especially with regard to what is happening in the Middle East and Russia's perspective on things.

The movie might get real interesting pretty soon. :nuke: