Russians Sense A New Cold War

[AGENDA21]

MOSCOW -- In this city, it's beginning to feel like a new Cold War, driven by what many people here see as an old American impulse: to encircle, weaken or even destroy Russia, just as the country is emerging from post-Soviet ruins as a cohesive, self-confident and global power.

The specter of a U.S. nuclear first strike even resurfaced this month. An article in Foreign Affairs magazine, published by the Council on Foreign Relations, suggested that the United States could hit Russia and China without serious risk of retaliation. That sent heads spinning here with visions of Dr. Strangelove.

"The publication of these ideas in a respectable American journal has had an explosive effect," former Russian prime minister Yegor Gaidar wrote in an article in London's Financial Times newspaper. "Even those Russian journalists and analysts who are not prone to hysteria or anti-Americanism took it as an outline of the official position of the U.S. Administration."

"Today, it's accepted by most of the establishment that we are under pressure, that we are being surrounded, and it's leading to a defensive nationalist vision," said Sergei Rogov, director of the Institute of the United States and Canada in Moscow.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040200749_pf.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Well, there is a sizeable portion of the population, including folks

in DC, who still insist on calling Russians 'commies' and 'reds'.

It was never about communism. It was all about xenophopia, and still is.

And these guys have their fingers on the button.

[Virginia Dare]

2. Russia will eventually throw in their lot with China...

then we're really in deep doo-doo.

:scared:

[reprobate]

3. Never thought of it that way, but I believe you are right.

And at the rate we are making enemies they won't be alone. Could be all of south america would be with them.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

4. ---------------??with Global Warming and all?

:shrug: