generalspeaking

Reassuring World Events

It was moving to read and observe a photograph of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev kneeling in quietly humble respect before a memorial to the millions of Russian victims of the USSR's gulag punishment system for enemies of the state. Stalinist doctrine and murderous victimization of Russia's intelligentsia and land-owners and critics recognized now for the mass atrocity that it represented.

It's always reassuring to see the human side of any regime, most particularly one that has revealed by its retrograde actions a renaissance in a questionable human rights agendas. One that appears to have reverted to a semblance of its former aggressive techniques in the process of assuring its neighbours and one-time obsequious supporters that, like an anxiously responsible parent caring for their irresponsible young, the punishment they mete out is for their own good.

And, as though the Kremlin waxed nostalgic about the excitement and robust romance in facing off with its adversaries in the West, brokering a return to that not-so-distant past of anxiety-imposing insecurity on a world scale. And here we thought, thanks to Glasnost, courtesy of Mikhail Gorbachev, that Russia had mellowed, and would never again represent itself as the bully of Eastern Europe.

In which cause, that same Dmitri Medvedev has ordered up a complete renewal and modernization of his country's military, its defence systems. Never for the offensive; a country has a responsibility to itself to exercise every opportunity at its disposal to ensure the security of its borders and the safety of its peoples' interests, after all. Pity that former President Gorbachev is 77; pity too that he's held in such low esteem in his country.

But there we go, another arms race in the offing. And the usual global jockeying for supporters. It isn't all that difficult to find countries in the Western Hemisphere that resent the officious superiority of the United States. But damn, selling nuclear technology to Venezuela, having that dangerous clown Hugo Chavez in charge of nuclear-potential-devices... That's the Chavez whose buddy-in-vitriolic denunciations of the U.S. is - now let's see - Ahmadinejad of Iran?

Not dreadfully surprising, since Russia has been busy for quite some time now, assisting nuclear-determined Iran with its seasoned expertise, and supplying it with other state-of-the-art weaponry. The better to threaten the geography of the Middle East and beyond. Talk about circuitous logic: Russia supplies Iran which is a threat to the region and to the U.S., and becomes enraged that the U.S. is setting up mechanical deterrents to missiles emanating from Iran.

And, of course, if the U.S. admiralty feels sufficiently confident to exercise its options everywhere it seeks to, including Baltic ports, as well as the Straits of Hormuz, so too is the Kremlin entitled to send its nuclear-powered warships and submarine destroyers on a friendly military-exercise mission to the waters of the Caribbean.

One dimly recalls, a mere several weeks ago, President Medvedev bemoaning the perceived recommencement of another arms race, claiming Russia had no interest in such a travesty, such a waste of international co-operation and good will.

Paranoia reigns supreme.

Labels: Political Realities, Troublespots, World Crises

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, September 28, 2008