Has the Cold War returned? If so when and why did it start back up?

Got to be this bloke... who is doing everything in his power to destroy peristroyka.

wow, it's been a while since I heard that word.

I dare say it's been a while since most have and fewer that remember what it was.

And we should be watching China as much.

Not sure - but I would have to say it has to do with our insistance to disarm and regulate them - their weapons and their subs, reactors, waste, etc... and our involvement in the former Soviet States.

Russia has long been a contender in Europe for growth and in lieu of growth then influence. Miss Lori makes a good argument "Russia has attempted to main-stream its political structure" and some good points about why the country keeps regressing.
Is this a Cold War? No. When the USSR imploded, not unlike when the Ottoman Empire imploded, there was a large vacuum of structure and old soviet block countries were then forced to sink or swim and Russia lost credibility as a world power. Since the crumbling of the Soviet Union Russia has had time to pull back and reorganize and begin to exert influence within and around her boarders. With Russia regaining credibility and viability as a world power she is looking to develop and grow. The question becomes does Russian economic growth compete with the U.S.? Yes. The pipeline is an interesting issue and a case in point. Back in the day Russia wanted access to her back door, access for a fleet to sail through the Dardanelles. Now she wants to have access to ports to transport oil. Ports were once military objectives and are now trade objective.

Welcome to the jungle cricketts.



Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Good post though.

The cold war never ended, it was in remission and the cancer is back.

well put

i never trusted him

I gotta say I never trusted him either. The thought of him and Bush discussing their plans while they watched the Olympics is unsettling to say the least.

I don't know that it's really started back up... yet. I think it could very well be making a come-back in the coming years, though.

A case could be made for each of the options you listed. My personal opinion is that Russia is, and has been for at least a hundred years, maneuvering for dominance in Europe. (In fact, the sale of Alaska to us was a contentious issue for a long time, and it might STILL be, behind closed doors.) I do think at times, Russia has attempted to main-stream its political structure, but either internal strife or external pressures cause it to revert to its past again and again. That country is inherently distrustful of Europe, having been victimized by Germany twice in the same century, and seen its own borders trimmed. They've realized their independence, though, and I think we have awakened the bear from her slumber. I check out what's going on there at least 3 times a day. They are laughing at us. If we hadn't supported Kosovo in their separation from Serbia, Russia wouldn't have the precedent to acknowledge S. Ossetia and Abkhazia right now. Who are we to now say that Russia can't support them, when we didn't support Serbia's "territorial integrity"?

I'm not too certain the two examples are the same, but I don't know that much about Ossetia and Abkhazia with respect to Georgia. And I'm sure Putin and the Russians would compare the two.

I also cannot help but wonder how much easier we have made it for Russia to implement it's policy regarding Georgia by undermining our own moral authority by invading Iraq in the manner we did.

I agree with you about Iraq. Russia, and the rest of the world aren't blind. Actually, Medvedev mentioned specifically that the US didn't respect Serbia's borders when we backed the separation of Kosovo, and look how we left them to fend for themselves. Plus, we definitely are antagonizing Russia through our missile defense system in Poland. Nobody actually believes that those missiles are protection against the middle east, because they KNOW how we invaded Iraq, and why. The fight in the Caucus is over oil. The Ukraine is desparate right now to get some kind of deal with NATO before Russia decides that they need to install security forces there, too. Did you read that the US cutter that was supposed to dock at Poti today decided not to? Now that Abkhazia has Russian protection, Georgia is completely cut off from aid from that port because of the Russian presence there. It could easily escalate. My guess is that Georgia and the Ukraine will be granted NATO membership, we'll provide security for the pipeline, and then we'll ditch Georgia, the same way we ditched Kosovo. That is, unless Bush and Putin already made a deal to let Russia take back Georgia for a share in the pipeline.

I think it may have been motivated by the bush anti ballistics installation he was seeking in northeastern Europe. Our eyes have been off Russia and china which I'm convinced are regrouping themselves and their military and intelligence.

You bastard. I should have known it was you!

My turn.

This is supposed to be harmless flirting, you bastard!

That's it...I'm blocking you. I just can't take it anymore

Bastard, you just can't seem to stay outta trouble can you.