Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha
Beems,
Fair point. However, I don't think Putin's foreign policy decisions are rooted solely, or even in large part, on a fear of U.S. power. Putin called the collapse of the USSR the worst political development of the 20th century. He appears to be bent on restoring Russia to its former glory (i.e., domination of the old Soviet Republics). I wouldn't blame Russia's newfound aggressiveness on NATO's expansion, even though there is a strong tendency among some circles of our society to blame anything and everything that goes wrong on the US and its foreign policy.
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I'll bet there were some in
this country who didn't want to see the collapse of the Soviet Union. Namely, the military-industrial complex, along with certain chickenhawks in the current administration and elsewhere in the government. Remember, the best way to keep their stranglehold of power over the sheeple is to have an neverending pseudo "war" with vague, non-distinct enemies. It keeps everyone in fear, allows for the state to take more of our money and liberties, and paints anyone who challenges this "threat" as traitorous, unpatriotic, and un-American.
Putin is only responding to our government's zeal to "spread freedom" throughout the world -- which, as we all should know by now, including the Russians, is an elaborate ruse. The only real purpose is to establish empire, to maintain commitments to corporate interests, and to feed the suicidal, hawkish desires of those who do nothing but glorify war, and long for the days of having an "evil empire" to contend with. It's only human nature.
I don't put the blame solely at the feet of today's Bush Administration. America's long history of "tough" foreign policy goes back to the days of Teddy Roosevelt and World War I and can be directly traced to many, if not most of the world's problems we see today.
I'm sure there will be some who'll be foaming at the mouth upon reading this. But the truth usually has that effect.