Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Cold War II?

"This is not 1968... where[a country] can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it. Things have changed." - Condoleezza Rice (8/13/08) commenting on the Russia-Georgia conflict

“We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War." -Dimitri Medvedev

With Russian troops still occupying Georgia and both Russia and the US threatening each other with a war of actions (think: Poland missile planting) and words (see above), I begin to wonder how much is "all talk" (as claimed by most political analysts) and how much is realpolitik.

There is substantial reason for a second Cold War and Russia now has the monetary underpinnings to support the economics of a Cold War. Putin, who still drives Russian fopo, has been setting this up, IMO, for years. The question is, will political will overtake 2 decades of foreign policy building that was so fundamentally based anti-Cold War political and economic development? Too much of the international status quo is based on the aftermath of the Cold War. Well, of Cold War II actually happening, I'm not sure. But I'm sure that Russia is ready:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4615158.ece



With not much to lose, and int'l hegemony to reassert, I don't see what there is to stop it from happening.

Thoughts?

Oh, and the Condoleezza quote is to be taken ironically......the double standards are unbelievable.

1 comment:

Ketakee said...

Dear Condi,
*cough* IRAQ *cough*