Comments on: The Quandry of Russia http://www.sundriesshack.com/2005/02/20/the-quandry-of-russia/ Delivering the Best of the New Media Since 2004. Mon, 14 May 2012 14:27:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: SiberianLighthttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2005/02/20/the-quandry-of-russia/comment-page-1/#comment-6945 SiberianLight Tue, 22 Feb 2005 15:19:14 +0000 /?p=1470#comment-6945 <strong>Bush's speech - what are the blogs saying?</strong> Bush's 'peacemaking' tour of Europe began with a speech in which he called for Europe (well, the EU) and America to work together to spread freedom and peace throughout the world. Bush’s speech – what are the blogs saying?
Bush’s ‘peacemaking’ tour of Europe began with a speech in which he called for Europe (well, the EU) and America to work together to spread freedom and peace throughout the world.

]]> By: Nicole Griffinhttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2005/02/20/the-quandry-of-russia/comment-page-1/#comment-6881 Nicole Griffin Sun, 20 Feb 2005 12:50:05 +0000 /?p=1470#comment-6881 My impression is that Bush has backed off that statement, which was made very early in his presidency, back when most still viewed Putin as a positive force in Russia. We know they have a reasonably good working dynamic together, but I think that dynamic has become more strained of late and is likely to become more so. My impression is that Bush has backed off that statement, which was made very early in his presidency, back when most still viewed Putin as a positive force in Russia. We know they have a reasonably good working dynamic together, but I think that dynamic has become more strained of late and is likely to become more so.

]]> By: Dave Jhttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2005/02/20/the-quandry-of-russia/comment-page-1/#comment-6880 Dave J Sun, 20 Feb 2005 10:25:35 +0000 /?p=1470#comment-6880 Like Soviet leaders before him, and even Yeltsin though probably not to quite the same extent, Putin is simply another Tsar by another name. Russia was not quite as much a straightforward enemy before 1917, but it was never historically a friend. Tocqueville predicted that the definining strategic feature of the future would be increased hostility between the US and Russia as their land expansion reached toward eachother and across the Pacific: indeed, it was partly the Russian presence in Alaska that originally lead to the formulation (in reality by John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State) of what became known as the Monroe Doctrine. There is something of very long standing in the Russian political psyche, going back at least as far as the time of Peter the Great if not earlier, that NEEDS to be perceived as one of the world's leading powers, and never since defeating Napoloen has that impulse lead to anything but disaster for Russia itself, yet it persists and if anything the catastrophes it brings about just deepen it further. That's reminiscent of France in some ways, actually. I had hope for real change in Russia until recently, for something that was more than skin deep. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part, but I sincerely hope that sort of wishful thinking is not guiding the policy of a president who said he had looked into Putin's heart and seen a good man, or whatever the quote was. That might work for public consumption, but for God's sake I hope no one in the White House actually believes it, certainly not the son of a former CIA director who should know better than to think such things of a man who still barely even tries to hide the mindset of the imperial police state. Like Soviet leaders before him, and even Yeltsin though probably not to quite the same extent, Putin is simply another Tsar by another name. Russia was not quite as much a straightforward enemy before 1917, but it was never historically a friend. Tocqueville predicted that the definining strategic feature of the future would be increased hostility between the US and Russia as their land expansion reached toward eachother and across the Pacific: indeed, it was partly the Russian presence in Alaska that originally lead to the formulation (in reality by John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State) of what became known as the Monroe Doctrine. There is something of very long standing in the Russian political psyche, going back at least as far as the time of Peter the Great if not earlier, that NEEDS to be perceived as one of the world's leading powers, and never since defeating Napoloen has that impulse lead to anything but disaster for Russia itself, yet it persists and if anything the catastrophes it brings about just deepen it further. That's reminiscent of France in some ways, actually.

I had hope for real change in Russia until recently, for something that was more than skin deep. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part, but I sincerely hope that sort of wishful thinking is not guiding the policy of a president who said he had looked into Putin's heart and seen a good man, or whatever the quote was. That might work for public consumption, but for God's sake I hope no one in the White House actually believes it, certainly not the son of a former CIA director who should know better than to think such things of a man who still barely even tries to hide the mindset of the imperial police state.

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