His Tat For Their Tch
No new Cold War, not at all. Just bully matching up to bully. More or less. After all, it was the Bush administration that started this little match-up going. Sacrificing the goodwill that had finally engaged the leaders of Russia and the United States post-dissolution of the Soviet Union. That was when Russia was teetering on political and economic collapse, and big brother, formerly major antagonist, empathized and encouraged its former adversary.This is now. A resurgent Russia, with pride restored, thanks to a booming economy and a strong-willed president is no longer willing to eat humble pie and take a back seat to world events. Especially those being manipulated by an arrogant world power that saw fit to resurrect the "star wars" vision of a former president. When the Bush administration brought the defensive missile shield to Europe in former Russian satellite countries the insult was simply too much to bear.
The Russian Bear declared this a provocation and that was calling it what is most decidedly is. Russia is no longer powerless to react. And react she has. On a number of fronts. And in so doing is restoring pride to the country. Vladimir Putin now has announced during joint military exercises with China that although she elected to halt her strategic aircraft flights in 1992 unilaterally she has since thought otherwise since no other countries emulated her.
"Unfortunately our example was not followed by everyone. Flights by other countries' strategic aircraft continue, and this creates certain problems for ensuring the security of the Russian Federation." True, this is more than a little precious, since Russia halted those flights as a direct result of her political/economic collapse.
Russian air force generals had earlier announced their bomber crews had flown near Guam, close to the U.S. military base, and "exchanged smiles" (read: psychological challenge) with American pilots who had scrambled to track their aerial nose-thumbing. Just as last month Britain's Royal Air Force rushed fighter jets to intercept two Tu-95 "Bear" bombers flying into British air space.
Routine, simply routine, beams Putin. Get used to it. Russia's senior admiral has now also noted that it's past time for his country to establish a permanent naval base in the Mediterranean; they may even re-open a base in Syria. And Russia's claims that it has a geographic right to territory in the Arctic merely builds on her long history of Arctic exploration.
Think that's all cause for being nervous? Put this one on for size. Just as Washington has successfully locked Russia out of NATO, so now has Moscow locked Washington out of even observer status during military manoeuvres under the auspices of the 6-member Shanghai Co-operation Organization of which Russia is a proud member.
The SCO, in fact, may be emerging as a powerful counterpart to NATO, representing central Asia. It's a useful political tool for the promotion of energy co-operation in an area whose newly-discovered reserves are becoming increasingly important in today's world. Pakistan, India, Mongolia and Iran all aspire to join the SCO.
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is held in great regard by members of the SCO, though not all is sweetness and light in a highly charged and competitive atmosphere that prevails anywhere nations with singular interests congregate.
Tch!
Labels: Political Realities, That's Life
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, August 18, 2007
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