Robert;
I’ve just got email with a new Russian joke. I thought it may interest you:
“Obama put Putin on notice: if Russia takes back Alaska, five more Duma members will lose their US visas.”
Slava
Slava:
Thank you for the the joke which is revealing of the current state of mind of many in Russia. They confuse a delayed response to Putin’s provocations as a sign of weakness and lack of resolve. They are very mistaken.
Putin can take the Ukraine and make it look like a victory. Neither we nor NATO are going to go to war to prevent it.
But Russia will be isolated and be perceived as a rogue state. Russia with a population of 170 million that is shrinking rapidly will stand alone. No one will trust it. It will fall into a deep and long term recession.
Abundant new gas supplies are coming on line due to Marcellus Shale discoveries throughout the world. Gas supports Russia’s economy. It also gives Putin some leverage over Europe. That influence will soon be gone.
Russia’s population is shrinking and its population dying at a very young age. Due to discontentment with their lives, people are eating, smoking and drinking themselves to death.
The Russian people will pay a huge price possibly for decades for alienating itself from European nations and North America (combined known as the WEST.)
They will suffer both economically and, without allies. They will have become irrelevant to Europe, odd man out.
Moreover, Asian Russia will be at the mercy of the Chinese who will make the same excuse for aggression -protecting fellow Chinese – as have the Russians re portions of Ukraine.
What will Russia do to defend their interests? Who will be Russia’s allies? Will Russia dare fight a land war with a country eight times larger? Would they risk an atomic bomb exchange with a country technological far superior?
President Barack Obama has it right. Our future requires close alliances as part of a powerful block of a billion people consisting of most of Europe and North America. (The WEST.) Our role is that of an influential but not the dominant member.
Putin has reasons to feel a grudge but is failing as a leader. He is fixated on what he perceives as past losses and mistreatments rather than looking towards the future and making Russia a safe, healthy, prosperous nation.
The other nations of the world are on the rise, which is good for the USA. We will rise with them. Russia will continue to sink.
On the other hand, it is important that we listen carefully to what Putin has to say, rather than villifying him. There is plenty of room for negotiated settlement that addresses legitimate security concerns and Russia rejoiniing the WEST.
Please let us know if you see things differently.
Robert
