goldsnow, very interesting article on the mood in Moscow, thanks...In the end, though, I do not think that we have Cold War 2, because the fate of Russia at this point too much hinges on its integration into Europe, and that cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of the United States.
Russia can become somewhat more bellicose, and it is still endowed with a nuclear arsenal, but that option is not realistic, or they would not worry about us bombing them over Chechnya. The fact is that only the promise of economic improvement can prevent civil war, and economic improvement cannot occur without access to Western capital. That is the QED that will undermine the blusterings of the Communists and the extreme nationalists, in my opinion... |
