Snowshoe, they key to this analysis is
"Putin was never going to be an easy partner. He is a Russian nationalist with authoritarian tendencies who, like his Russian predecessors for centuries, harbors a deep distrust of the West, according to senior U.S. officials. Much of his world view was formed as a KGB officer in the twilight years of the Cold War and as a government official in the chaotic post-Soviet Russia of the 1990s, which Putin and many other Russians view as a period when the United States repeatedly took advantage of Russian weakness."
And I may add the following remark - VV is the grandson of a Lenin and later Stalin chef, his father served on the front lines in the demolition battalion of the NKVD during World War II he grew up and formed his view of the world under the influence of the above. At my age I realize how those childhood heritages influences a person in adulthood.
I would not like to go on and on on this subject, my point is that there is a simple rule I was told - no ruler can measure the size of Russia and no human mind can comprehend the Russian thinking as a nation.
There is no doubt in my mind that mistakes where made and misunderstandings are plenty, but from that to arrive to the present situation is a great stretch.
As I see it, Chechnya was the first test that we in the Western countries did not understood, furhter in 2008 in Georgia Putin made his first unjustified foray after the failure in Estonia in Narva. I can go on and on, the problem is in the embedded Russian heritage that was shaped over centuries and took a very aggressive and imperialistic turn after Ivan Grozny and the so called "Tiems of troubles"(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_of_Trouble)
The concept of imperialistic expansion with territorial control where fashionable until 100 years ago or about WWI, we know who wanted more "lebensraum" shortly thereafter.
In summary I wish I could come up with a smart solution without confrontation, and would agree that installing a anti-ballistic rocket base in Romania for example was unnecessary and not best explained, but also probably not if one sees Iran as a real threat. Iran strongly believes in the "Twelver" Shia theory.
One feature that I personally totally dismiss but is of major importance to almost every citizen in Russia is national pride, failing to understand that brings you trouble and you are shunned. The average Russian person is positive warm and loving but he also has its own national "sensitive buttons", which the Western Nations do not appreciate.
For one, from the English heritage there is the notion of cultural and sociological superiority which is hubris it was also present in the Roman Empire, and also I would admit in the Jewish heritage (the chosen people - but by whom?). As an example one person on this SI board preaches all the time about Victorian values - which again are hubris.
If you would ask me if the US made huge blunders with their policies in Russia I will totally agree with you as an example the effort to transform this nation under Yeltsin, on a fast food time frame, instead of investing thought and patience and economic assistance that was much needed.
Under Yeltsin Russia was as a little child left out of his home to wander within the big world and no one offered a true sincere helping hand, and maybe even exploited the situation - therefore all kind of mafia types took control of their economies which was in tailspin, people got poorer all kind of crooks and criminals plundered the country and became "respected Oligarchs in the Western Nations".
The situation was very reminiscent of Germany after WWII. For this I blame the Western Nations, as no one really cared, or tried to understand and study the real situation on the ground, and because of this gross negligence we are faced now with a difficult situation and with no worthy leader in the Western Countries to take us out of this mess.
All this said still there is no justification for Russia to return to their imperialistic practices and an effort must be made of which I a not as smart, to convince the Kremlin that if we work together we all benefits and we will support and make an effort for a prosperous Russian society and help them develop an economy not based on raw materials only. |
